Transform Your Life: 7 Powerful Benefits of Defining Your Personal Values
Life is a grand adventure, but do you know what is guiding your ship? How do you navigate the twists and turns, or decide which direction is the right one? Every adventurer needs a guide, map, compass, or North Star, because without one, they would be hopelessly lost. In the adventure of your life, values are your guiding star.
August was National Wellness Month, and I wanted to steer our conversation in a different direction than the usual talk of self-care, physical health, and mental wellness. Because, while I can tell you what self-care is and how to take care of your body and mind, only you can decide to take those steps. Values are the North Star to navigate your life, and well-defined values can be the powerful motivation you need to make a positive change in your life.
Today, we will explore:
What values are
How knowing yours will change your life
And tips to get started on defining them
Ready to learn the secret to creating a fulfilling life that you love? Let’s jump into values.
What Are Values?
At the most basic level, values are the fundamental beliefs that guide all human behavior and decision-making. Your values are based on core beliefs, so whether you’re aware of them or not, they influence your actions, relationships, decisions, and how you feel about life.
Values can include beliefs around family, work, personal growth, health and wellness, community service, spirituality, and more. Every person has a different set of values, learned from our families and upbringing, given to us by our culture and peers, developed through experiences, education, and even trauma. Many values will stay rooted in us long-term, growing and evolving as we experience life, while others may get discarded or outgrown.
Most people have a sense of what their values are, but a deep understanding of them can be immensely valuable in navigating life's challenges and opportunities. Clearly defined values can provide you with a clear sense of direction, purpose, and motivation for living a truly rewarding life. This is because living in alignment with your values brings satisfaction, lower stress, and a higher sense of well-being, while living out of alignment can contribute to higher stress, and a lack of overall fulfillment.
Benefits of Defined Values
If lower stress isn’t enough of a benefit, there’s a lot more where that came from. But first, I want to take you through an example that illustrates the benefits. So, let's meet Annie (not a real person).
Annie has recently graduated from college and is interviewing for her first job. She has two opportunities she's excited about, both with good pay and benefits, but still feels overwhelmed and unsure of which she wants. She’s weighed the pros and cons, but they are about equal, leaving her worried that she’ll make the wrong choice.
The first option is a work-from-home design position. She feels confident in her ability to do the job, likes the autonomy of working from home, and is excited that the schedule flexibility would allow her to travel while working. However, the majority of her time would be spent creating simple graphics with no room for creativity, and there is no ongoing training or skill-building provided.
The second option is an entry-level graphic design position. This position builds on her degree, but is a little outside of her comfort zone. It offers more opportunities for skill development and creativity with projects. She would be working directly with another employee in the office, which sounds appealing, but it wouldn’t offer the same level of independence and freedom for travel.
During a conversation with her mentor, she's asked to identify her core values and prioritize them based on what resonates with her the most. After some introspection, Annie comes up with the following list:
Growth & Learning
Creativity & Self-expression
Independence & Autonomy
Integrity & Authenticity
Connection & Community
Adventure & Exploration
Service & Contribution
Job option #1 aligns with her need for independence, integrity, and adventure, while option #2 aligns with her need for growth, creativity, and connection. After careful consideration, she decides that option #2 aligns with the values that have the most importance, and she takes that position.
Annie is a fictional character, but she could easily represent any of us. While both jobs were in line with some of her values and had similar benefits, a closer look led her to making a decision that was more in line with values. Now take a moment to consider what decision she might have made if the Adventure and Creativity values (number 2 and number 6) had been switched. In that case, the other job may have been the more aligned option.
With that quick example out of the way, let’s look at some specific ways that defined values can benefit your life:
1. Increased Focus
When a task aligns with your values, it's easy to find the time and energy to complete it. You'll prioritize it, be more likely to be successful and productive while doing it, and you'll come away feeling fulfillment or satisfaction.
2. Greater Resilience
Values can act as an inner compass, guiding you through difficult decisions and challenging situations. When faced with adversity, knowing your values will help you stay true to yourself and your beliefs, giving you the strength to persevere.
3. Improved Relationships
You'll never find someone with exactly the same values as you, but you can strengthen relationships by focusing on the values that you have in common. You can also make decisions about who you interact with and what type of relationship you have by considering your shared and contrasting values.
4. Heightened Self-Awareness
When you understand your core beliefs, you get a glimpse into your behavior and motivations. You can have more confidence in your decisions, and also get insight into why something didn't work for you.
5. Boosted Confidence
Living in alignment with your values means living authentically. You'll feel confident in your actions because you'll know that you did what you did for a reason that matters.
6. Clarity in Goals
Setting and reaching goals is simpler when you know what really matters to you. You'll be able to set personal and professional goals that resonate with who you are, so you can be successful at following through and staying motivated.
7. Improved Mental Health
Acting in line with your values just feels "right." It lowers stress, decreases dissonance, and increases your overall well-being. Jobs and relationships that are based on defined values are more satisfying as well, so you can maintain good mental health even when there are bumps in the road.
Practical Tips for Defining Your Values
There are plenty of exercises available to help you on your journey, but all of those methods will have you do similar tasks, because the answers can only be found inside of you. Exploring your life, your experiences, and how you relate to the world is the way to define your values. Everything else is there to support you through the process.
Here are suggestions to get you started:
Reflect on Life Experiences: Take time to consider pivotal moments in your life, both positive and negative. What lessons did you learn? Which events had the most impact on your beliefs and priorities?
Identify What Matters Most: Create a list of what is most important to you in various aspects of your life, such as family, career, health, or community. Narrow this list down to the top five values that resonate deeply.
Seek Inspiration: Read books, articles, or quotes that resonate with you. Reflect on the values expressed in these materials and consider how they relate to your own beliefs.
Engage in Self-Discovery Activities: Utilize journaling, meditation or mindfulness practices, and prayer to gain clarity about your values. These activities can help you connect with your inner self and uncover what's truly important.
Discuss with Others: Share your thoughts about values with friends, family, or a professional. Engaging in conversations about what they value can provide insight and help you articulate your own beliefs.
Test Your Values: Once you have defined potential core values, test them by examining your daily choices. Ask yourself if your actions align with these values, and make adjustments as needed to live more authentically.
Defining your values is not just a philosophical exercise; it's a practical tool for improving your life. By aligning your actions with your core beliefs, you contribute to a balanced lifestyle that fosters fulfillment and happiness in all aspects of life.
Are you ready to experience the benefits of defining your values? A Holistic Wellness Coach can be your guide and ally through the process, helping you dig deeper into the beliefs that make you who you are.
At Remedy Box Wellness, I will give you the support you need to live a more fulfilled, vibrant, and resilient life. We'll define your values and use them to develop goals and make decisions that align with you and your lifestyle, so you can create a balanced and healthy life where you can thrive.
Book a FREE Discovery Call and let's start the discussion today!