Have you ever felt like you did not fit, but you could not put your finger on why? Maybe it’s been in a job, a relationship or a circle of friends. We often throw around this notion of “fit” without understanding what creates that sense of connection.
Your values – the beliefs most important to you – guide and motivate your actions and attitudes. It is more than knowing what you like to do or what you are good at. Values reveal your why and how you want to do and be in the world. They are your inner compass.
These core beliefs articulate what you stand for and how you show up in your life. Knowing your top values sheds light on what type of work you want to do, how you relate to others and what you believe in. It sounds simple, but we often do not recognize our values or when they are being ignored.
Finding the right “fit” is easier when we know what is most important to us and how we want to show up.
Try identifying your top three values. Describe your why and how in three words. It is not an easy task, considering many lists include close to 150 possibilities. But the process of narrowing the list to three will give insight to what is most meaningful in your life. Then you can evaluate how closely your current life matches with your values and what needs to shift.
Step One: Answer these questions
- When you were the happiest? What were you doing? What factors contributed to your feelings of happiness?
- When you were most proud? What were you doing and what made you proud?
- When have you felt most fulfilled and satisfied? What were you doing and what need was fulfilled or satisfied? How did this add meaning to your life?
- When have you felt most frustrated? Or regretful? What was missing? These experiences illuminate what is important that may have been ignored or pushed aside.
Based on your answers, what values come to mind that are important to you?
Step Two: Name your top values
Follow the steps below using this list of values:
- Highlight all the values on the list that have meaning for you. What emotions are attached to each one?
- For each highlighted value, ask does this define me and is it something I embody? Is this a value upon which I make decisions? (Think about important life decisions you’ve made and what value underpinned your choice.)
- Divide your highlighted list into categories or topics. For example, you may have achievement, excellence, and perfection in one category. Of the values in the category, which actually defines you and informs your decisions?
- Pick one value from each category that is most important.
- Finally, narrow the list to the three key values that embody who you are, how you live and how you make decisions.
Step Three: Is your life in alignment?
Based on what is most important to you, how well are you living in accordance with those priorities? Think about the various aspects of your life and see how it aligns with your top values.
How would you rank yourself in each area based on your top values? Give yourself a score of 1-10, with ten being in full alignment.
| Top Value 1 | Top Value 2 | Top Value 3 | |
| Career | |||
| Family | |||
| Finances | |||
| Friends | |||
| Fun | |||
| Health | |||
| Spiritual |
What would those roles look life if you did align those with your values?
What is one thing you can do now to live your top values?
If you’d like help narrowing down your top values, schedule a free discovery session and we’ll find what matters most so you can be your best.