Discovering Your Core Values
One of the most critical aspects of personal development, which often remains overlooked, is understanding your own values. Our values serve as a compass, guiding our behaviors, decisions, and actions.
When our actions and behaviors align with our personal values, we feel content, fulfilled, and have a sense of purpose in life. If they don't align, it can lead to confusion, dissatisfaction, or a feeling of imbalance.
To maintain harmony and grow as individuals, it's essential to discover, understand, and reflect on our personal values.
Here are a few methods to embark on this journey of self-discovery:
Values Clarification Exercise: (This is a great place to start)
Begin by writing a list of 25 values that resonate with you. They could include concepts like integrity, loyalty, creativity, love, power, etc.
Now, do three rounds of eliminations over three days.
This process will require deep reflection and is more complex than it sounds. Completing it over the course of a few days allows you to come back fresh each time.
Day 1 - Your Top 10
Day 2 - Your Top 5
Day 3 - Your Top 3
As you make your choices, contemplate why you prioritize some values over others, and how your values may have changed over time.
Journaling
The practice of writing in a journal daily helps to discover and clarify your thoughts and feelings. Write about your day, your reactions to situations, decisions you've made, and how they made you feel. Over time, patterns will emerge, shedding light on your underlying values. The key is to be consistent and honest in your reflections.
Examine Your Past
Our past experiences can provide considerable insights into our values.
Reflect on some of your most memorable moments - both positive and negative.
What were the events or actions that made you proud?
What moments left you feeling disappointed or dissatisfied?
Analyzing these situations can help you identify values that are important to you.
Look to Your Heroes
Think about people you admire – they could be personal contacts, historical figures, fictional characters, or public personalities.
What qualities do they possess that attract you?
What actions of theirs resonate with you?
The answers often mirror the values you hold dear.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Engaging in mindfulness practices and meditation can help quiet the noise of daily life and allow your true values to surface. During these moments of quiet introspection, you can achieve a deeper understanding of what truly matters to you.
Seek Guidance
If this feels overwhelming, book a complimentary 1:1 call to talk through it together.
Uncovering your core values is a journey of introspection and self-discovery that requires time, patience, and honesty with oneself. It's a continual process that can shift and evolve over time. As you grow and change, it's important to regularly revisit and reflect on your values. Particularly during times of great change.
Discovering your values isn't about judging what's good or bad, right or wrong. It's about identifying what matters the most to you, which guides your decisions, actions, and ultimately shapes your life.
