In my private coaching practice, I often have clients who are simply not sure of what they want or who they really are, by identifying their personal values decisions become easier, there is less stress and more joy in your life.
Personal values matter because they act as a set of rules and guidelines for the events you encounter in life.
What are personal values:
Values are who you are, not who you think you should be in order to fit in.
Values are similar to beliefs as exemplified from the dictionary:
- cultural/moral/religious values
- traditional/conservative/liberal values
- Her values were very different from mine.
- America was founded on the values of freedom and justice for all.
By identifying your personal values you are able to make decisions that are right for you, which ultimately gives you more joy in your life as your decision making is more purposeful, breading confidence and an overall feeling of happiness in your day-to-day life. A happier you has a domino effect, spreading that positivity to all those you touch.
Off the top of your head, you may list a few common values: honesty, adventure or friendships, but spending some time, really thinking about your values may surprise and delight you, ultimately it will guide you towards enjoying a more purposeful, fulfilling life.
Here are few exercises to uncover some unnamed values:
Peak Moment in time: Think of a time in life that was truly a peak, special moment – what was happening? Who was there? What were you feeling? What made this special and what values do you think were being honored at the time?
Suppressed values: We don’t often like to think of experiences which make us unhappy, but it is fertile ground for uncovering values. If you can think of a time when you were angry, frustrated or upset about something, chances are, there is a value that is being suppressed and not honored in that experience.
Must-Haves: One more way to identify values is to consider what you “must-have” in your life. Beyond the basic needs of food, shelter, and community, what must you have in your life in order to be fulfilled? Certain relationships, adventure, creativity? These are just examples of what those might be.
I have a process that I use when I am working with my coaching clients, and the process is a bit more entailed, but this is a starter in thinking about how you can create a list of your own values as a beginning point for your own road-map.
The graphic below helps you see the many derivatives of core values.
By identifying your personal values you will find that you have less mental clutter and the ability to fill your life with your true priorities.
If you would like to talk through your personal values and how identifying what is really important to you, please contact me. We can meet in person, or if it is easier via Skype or a phone call.
