Identifying your values

    There can be a lot of focus on what we're doing. I can think of the number of times, upon meeting someone new I’ve been asked the question, “What do you do?”  It can be both useful and energizing to set goals, plan, and think about what we would like to do in the future.  Another question to ask though is, “Why are you doing what you’re doing?”  This question can help us to access our values and get clearer on what is influencing and/or driving our actions.  Some may simply answer with something like, “Because I have to,” “to make money,” “because I like it” etc.  What if there was a layer deeper than that?  For example, in asking, “Why do you like it?”  Responses may surface such as, “It gives me a sense of satisfaction,” or “I enjoy the freedom,” or “it enables me to contribute to the community.”  

    Accessing these values, such as satisfaction, freedom and contribution, can help to clarify what’s most important.  Once this is in your awareness, you can start to ensure that the decisions you are making are in line with your values.  You can also assess whether the activities of your life demonstrate what you value or not. Typically, when we are living out of alignment with our values we will feel off balance, out of sorts or stuck. When I did a quick search to find a list of values to help facilitate this exploration, I found a site that has a list of 374 words!  Here’s the link to the list of values, courtesy of Steve Pavlina.  To start this process, you can identify your top five values and ask, “What can I do in my life to demonstrate what I most value?”  I’d be happy to hear what you come up with!

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