I thought I had a good understanding of what my values were until I read Brené Brown’s book, Dare to Lead. She challenges her readers to find their top two values. In this article, I am expanding the concept of values, including a values exercise and resources to continue this journey of self-discovery.
Values are aspirational ideals and are consciously recognized. Values influence decision-making and behavior and reflect what people prioritize and strive for. They can be shaped by personal experiences, cultural influences, and individual reflections. When our values are aligned with our actions, our experiences are more fulfilling and purposeful.
“May all your arrows fly in the same direction.” -Unknown
Brainstorm a List: Begin by taking a moment to jot down all the values that come to mind. Don't overthink it; just write down whatever feels important to you. Write down as many as you can. Examples. This initial step is about capturing a broad spectrum of what you value.
Narrow It Down: Review your list and select the top 10 values that resonate most with you. These should be the values that you feel are non-negotiable and define who you are at your core. This step helps in filtering out the essential values from the general ones.
Rank Your Values: Once you have your top 10 values, rank them in order of importance. This can be challenging but is crucial for understanding your priorities. Ranking your values forces you to think critically about what matters most to you and provides a clear hierarchy.
Reflect on Each Value: For each of your top two values, write a brief explanation of why it's important to you. This reflection helps you understand the role each value plays in your life and how it influences your decisions. For example, if honesty is a top value, consider how it impacts your relationships and decisions.
Evaluate Consistency: Consider whether your current lifestyle and choices align with your identified values. Are there areas of inconsistency? If so, think about what changes you might need to make to live more in alignment with your values. This step is about recognizing and addressing any gaps between your values and your actions.
Create a Values Statement: Based on your reflections, craft a personal values statement that encapsulates what's most important to you. This statement can serve as a guide for making future decisions and setting goals. A values statement is a powerful tool for maintaining focus and direction in your life.
Revisit Regularly: Life changes, return to contemplating your values from time to time to keep in self-guidance alignment.
Clarifying your values is not just a theoretical exercise; it has practical benefits:
Guided Decision-Making: Knowing your values provides a clear framework for making decisions. When faced with choices, you can ask yourself whether a particular option aligns with your core values.
Enhanced Self-Awareness: Understanding your values increases self-awareness and helps you understand what drives your behaviors and decisions.
Improved Relationships: When you know your values, you can communicate them more clearly to others, leading to more authentic and meaningful relationships.
Increased Resilience: Values provide a stable foundation that can help you navigate challenges and setbacks with greater resilience.
For me, joywork and the leading edge are currently my top values. Joywork includes the courage to do my best. The leading edge means striving and inspiring myself to go where I have not been before in mind, body, and spirit. I love my values because I do feel all my arrows flying in the same direction. Sometimes it is challenging to find the joy in some redundant tasks but striving to do my best and looking for the leading edge challenges me to focus on the task and use my imagination. One of my favorites, turning loading the dishwasher into a puzzle. Now it is exciting to see how I can fit the most dishes in without compromising the machine cleaning process. My mission statement is “Joywork for the leading edge in myself.”
I trust this article is of value to you. If you feel like sharing your values, please email joyworkcoach@lindyladow.com. I am interested to know what you discover!
Embrace the journey of discovering and living your values, and watch as your life transforms.
"Dare to Lead" by Brené Brown
"The Values Factor" by Dr. John Demartini
"The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday
"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran