Do you know what your values are? What do you hold dear? Have your values changed? Is there a mismatch between your behavior and what you believe are your values?
Living a life aligned with our values makes decisions easier. It also makes living with the outcomes of our decisions easier. It’s when we act against our core values that we generate regrets and resentment. But we must routinely inspect our values. We grow. We change. Life changes us.
According to this exercise from MindTools: “As your definition of success changes, so do your personal values. This is why keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise. You should continuously revisit this, especially if you start to feel unbalanced… and you can’t quite figure out why.”
This six-step process is fairly straightforward and will help you clarify your values. Along the way you will:
- Identify the times when you were happiest.
- Identify the times when you were most proud.
- Identify the times when you were most fulfilled and satisfied.
- Determine your top values, based on your experiences of happiness, pride, and fulfillment.
- Prioritize your top values.
- Reaffirm your values.
Explore your values this week. You might be surprised to find out where you stand. Use what you learn to guide your decisions, and you’ll sleep easier.
