You have specific values that guide you through life.
Whether you are aware of it or not, your values are the actions and behaviors you believe in and on which you base your decisions; the principles you follow and use as a code of reference.
Some of your values may have been passed on by your family, while others are intrinsically yours.
Living by your values will make you feel balanced and happy. (Click to tweet if you agree)
When you deviate from your values, that’s when you get into trouble.
If harmony is one of your core values and you’re working in a highly aggressive environment, you may feel increasingly stressed. Someone more adventurous, who enjoys a constant source of stimulation, may thrive in that type of workplace.
Our values are commonly stable, yet, they change as we move through life. Health is a core value that increases in significance as we get older while being competitive and having a thriving career may be more important to you when you are younger.
Life is full of distractions and knowing your values is essential in staying your course.
Value Clarification Exercise
Take a notebook and some quiet time and ask yourself the following questions:
– What’s truly important to me in life?
– What accomplishments am I most proud of?
– If I couldn’t fail, what would I do?
– What are the elements I can’t live without?
– What universal, cultural, and personal values speak loudest to me?
– Who do I admire? What about this person inspires me?
Record your answers and look for the values that most resonate with you. Once you are finished, make a list of your top 20 values. Reduce the list to 10. Keep refining your list until you are left with your five core values.
Over the next few weeks, observe how each of those values plays out in your life. What’s its impact? How is it shaping you as a person? In what way is it influencing your decisions? Keep fine-tuning your list until you’re happy with it.
Repeat this exercise once a year or whenever you feel unbalanced. Revisit your values regularly and keep integrating them into your life.
Want to share your values with me? You can post them in the comment section below or email them to me. I’d be interested to hear what they are. Mine are truth, beauty, and freedom.
Mindtools, a career management website, offers a great article with a list of values that you can use as a guide to finding yours.
As always, thank you for reading.
Karin
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