Knowing your values is crucial to living the life you want, and creating the change you want to see in the world. Yet so many of us don’t know what our values are, let alone how to live them, walk, talk, or embody them.
My clients are usually successful, accomplished, and ambitious – but they are unfulfilled.
The people I work with come from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds, and they are usually educated degree level or beyond.
They have ticked the boxes of education and success, and now they’re at a point in life where they’re asking what more there is to life.
If you have ever had that nagging feeling, that question within you of “There has to be more to life than this?” – then this post is for you.
The catalyst for a desire for knowing, embodying, and leading with your values often begins with feeling powerless.
When decisions are being made that don’t feel aligned with who you are; when you feel a sense of longing, a deep desire to reclaim some power, to be the architects of change in your own life and beyond.
Maybe you want to do things better – whatever that means to you.
But doing better, creating a change, seems like such a big mountain to climb.
It’s overwhelming – and you don’t feel prepared enough.
Maybe you doubt that you can make an impact at all.
Maybe you aren’t even clear on what impact you want to make.
But what you DO know is you’ve got this massive potential inside and you just have to do something with it.
So, to live a full life, to live as and become who you really, really want to be in the world, starts with checking in with your values.
Your values are the drivers for how you live, work, and lead.
They are what underpins every choice you make, every decision, and every goal you set.
Being clear about your values acts as a filter system by which to make decisions and to take action.
When you are clear about your values, you can better align your thoughts, feelings, and your behaviors in every area of your life.
Your values might evolve over time as your life and circumstances evolve, so it’s helpful to check back in with them on a regular basis.
There are many tools available to help you define your values (including my Find The Passion in Your Work Story guide, available for free, right here).
A short, helpful exercise to get you started on your values definition is to spend some time with a journal or notebook, and consider:
- When did you feel the most fulfilled?
- When have you felt the most joy?
- When have you felt the most driven?
- When have you felt the most purpose-led?
Think about each scenario, and consider what you were doing in that moment.
Which values could be linked to that experience?
How would you describe that feeling in terms of a value?
Can you start to define a list of values that feel important to you?
It will take some time to refine and define them, but from here you can begin to map out your goals and decisions in a way that feels aligned.
Defining your values is an incredibly important activity to shape your life with purpose.
If you can’t quite put your finger on what you’re supposed to do next to move forward, check in with your values.
When we define values you can move from uncertainty about what’s blocking you, to clear decisions and a purpose-led path with clarity.
The world changes when people do work that’s meaningful, purposeful, and values-driven.
I have been through this journey myself, and know it firsthand.
I became an engineer because I wanted to make the world a more sustainable place. It was only when I got into work after my degree that I realised how many businesses make decisions based entirely on profit alone.
And I just kept seeing this connection that if people knew what their values were, and how to live by them, then they might be able to create a vision or a mission for changing the world.
I realised that more people would choose to work with and create businesses that serve humanity and the planet in bigger ways, if they were really connected to their values, and actively using them in all areas of their work lives.
You really have to believe in yourself and value yourself first to do that.
That’s what my work is all about helping people do.
Get started with your next step by signing up for my Find The Passion in Your Work Story guide, available for free, right here.
Coach Holly.