Discovering values
Values are incredibly powerful to have clear and use in your daily life. The clearer you are on them the easier it is to ensure you connect to them in the way you make choices, interact and build relationships with people and pursue your goals.
So, what are values?
- How we want to be
- What we want to stand for
- What kind of relationships we want to build?
- Where you want to spend your time and energy
Values are not goals. Values are a lifelong journey, whereas goals are set in time and can be achieved. Values is the way you want to live life and give direction to your passions.
Connecting to our values makes our hard work, and the things we have to deal with, worth our while. We can take a lot, and show a lot of persistence, if we are connected to our values.
The values upon which I and my community stand
Values bulls-eye: Draw a bullseye, and divide the bulls-eye into four equal parts. Answer the questions below, write the answers down if you can. Then draw out where you rate your life now compared to the answers you gave to the questions below. The closer you draw a line to the bulls-eye the more you are living your values. Make a work of art out of it.
Relationships:
- What sort of relationships do you want to build?
- How do you want to behave in these relationships?
- what kind of relationship do you want with yourself?
Work/Education:
- What qualities would you like to bring to the workspace?
- What sort of relationships do you want to develop with your colleagues?
- What skills, knowledge, personal qualities do you want to develop?
Personal growth/health:
- What lifestyle changes do you want to make?
- How do you want to take care of your health?
- What activities that you did in the past would you like to do again?
Leisure:
- What kind of hobbies/interests/sports activities do you want to participate in?
- on an ongoing basis, how would you like to relax/unwind and have fun?
Once you have drawn out your bullseye, think:
- Which of the above values are most important to me?
- Which of them am I actively living?
- Which of them am I neglecting?
- Which is the most important to start working on right now?
- Make a plan for your most important values. Set SMART goals (short term and mid/long term) and identify actions you can take.
Resources
If you struggle to identify your values, view a list of ideas.
