Values are those things that are important to us and that make us feel the most connected to our true selves. In order to live your higher good, you need to know what your key values are and allow them to guide your choices. The more you are able to focus on living your values, the more fulfilled you will begin to feel.
My motto of “Love self, Serve others” has become a way for me to constantly remind myself of my key values, practicing self-care and living a life of service to others. When I incorporate these into my daily actions in both my personal life and business, I feel my best. By living these values, I am attuned to my deepest self, and I feel energized and excited by my life and work.
Sometimes, however, I lose sight of my motto and let the stresses of everyday life get in the way. Maybe I forget to practice self-care because I get too focused on my growing to-do list. Perhaps I let fear dictate a decision so it comes from a place of selfishness instead of service. Regardless of what happens or what causes it, the times when I stray from my values of “Love Self, Serve Others” are never my best. In fact, I generally know when I am not living in alignment to these values because I feel tired, stressed, anxious, fearful, and grumpy. In those moments, I am best served by reminding myself of my motto and finding ways to realign my choices so that I am acting in accordance with my values.
So how can YOU learn to identify what the values are that will guide you to YOUR highest good? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Identify what your values are.
Are you fulfilled by accomplishments? Or maybe you feel most like yourself when you’re serving others? Perhaps you value your religion or spirituality? Could fun be a top priority for you? There are many possible things you could have on your list. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers; the idea is to find what resonates FOR YOU.
Narrow your list to just a few items you’d like to prioritize.
You may find that the more you think about your values, the more things come to mind that resonate with you. That’s perfectly okay. However, it’s important to narrow your focus to just a few items that resonate most deeply with you so that you’re not trying to focus on everything and do too much at once.
Brainstorm behaviors that are aligned to these key values.
Think about the values you have identified; what actions can you take that align to them? For example, one of my values is to help others live their best lives. Some of the behaviors I’ve adopted in order to live out this value in my life are working as a coach, offering a free resource on my website, and sharing ideas and information via my web site, blog, and social media pages.
Take action and discover what resonates.
Now that you’ve identified some of your key values, narrowed the list to a few areas of focus, and generated some ideas of what these values might look like in your daily life, it’s time to take action! As you begin embedding concrete values-based actions into your daily life, take note of how it makes you feel. How does taking action that is directly tied to what you value most positively impact your life?
What happens when you allow YOUR core values to determine your decisions in your life and work? How do you feel? What looks different for you? What changes do you find yourself making?
