Recently, a friend of mine asked me how in tune I was with my values. My immediate answer was to say, “oh, I am totally in touch with what my personal core values are.” Like a good friend, however, he pushed me and asked again, “No, really, how in touch are you with your values and committed to living according to them.”
Perhaps like me, if you are honest, that causes you to pause and really consider the question. If you are able to ask yourself “why is this important” two or three times, I believe you will get into some very important, deep connection with yourself and your intentions for living.
If you’re still a skeptic and thinking, “why does this matter to me?” Allow me to explain. In my opinion, first identifying and then most importantly living by a set of 3-5 core values gives you more peace, more confidence, and more courage to be who you were created to be.
Don’t just take my word for it, though. According to lifehack.org, below are the 8 benefits of identifying your values:
- Values help you find your purpose.
- Values help you react in difficult situations.
- Values help you make decisions.
- Values help clear out the clutter.
- Values help you choose the right career.
- Values help you develop a sense of self.
- Values help increase your confidence.
- Values help your overall happiness level.
I suspect that all of us, myself included, would not only benefit from the list above but that our lives would improve dramatically. Even if only half of those things came to pass. I expect by now it is clear why I believe that my friend has us on a worthy pursuit.
Here is the action I recommend you take if you are unclear, unsure, or uncommitted about identifying and following your values. Today. Go to the internet and find a list of values. They are plentiful and easily available. Spend at least an hour determining your top 3-5 core values. Write them down, post them where you can see them, make them a part of your thoughts and daily routine.
It takes practice but once you have the hang of it you will find it more and more integrated into your thoughts, actions, and decisions. I promise you that just by doing this one task, which will likely take several weeks of done properly, you will feel a sense of accomplishment that is deeper and more personally affirming than anything you have recently experienced.
Once you have achieved that personal clarity, then the eight benefits listed above will begin to fall into place. Now you’re really making some life changes that will make your future incredibly exciting. You are likely to even discover who you were created to be. Exciting!
Once you have begun down this path, I would encourage you to identify another three to five core values that you do not currently possess but aspire to gain keen insight into. Put these ideas into practice and PLEASE let me know how you learn and grow from it. I encourage your comments and feedback. Please share them in the notes below and be sure to SHARE and SUBSCRIBE HERE to this post so you never miss a weekly guide to help you achieve your personal best.
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