Description

When we know our values, we can make decisions that feel good and that are in alignment with who we are. In this special episode, our very own life and career coach, Karla, shares a few tips on why values matter and how to identify yours.

Key Takeaways:

• Values are the principles we live by that are shaped by our experiences, our beliefs, and our upbringing.
• When we know our values, we can make conscious decisions about how to live our lives versus living at the effect of what happens to us.
• Once we know our values, we can evaluate how well our lives match our values. If they don't match, this may be a clue that it's time to make some changes in your life.
• Examples of values include friendship, loyalty, respect, freedom, abundance, and security, among many others.
• There are two types of values:
  
  a) Fear-based: the values, which we choose out of fear of losing something (for example choosing "security" because we're afraid of being poor)
  
  b) Conscious-based: these are values that we choose consciously because we want them, not out of fear, but out of desire (for example, choosing "abundance" because we desire an abundant life)
• It's important to beware of whether the values that we're choosing are our values or someone else's.
• Values are meant to change as we evolve.
• Here's a quick exercise to identify your values:
  1. Think of a time when things felt great for you. What might have been the values you were honoring at this moment?
  2. Conversely, when was a time that was challenging? What might have been the values that were crossed at this moment that made that experience difficult?
  3. Once you have a list of 8-10 values, narrow them down to 3-5 that are so important that you would defend no matter what.
  4. Rank your values from 1 to 5 (#1 being the most important).
  5. Evaluate for each value: On a scale of 1-10 (1=never, 10=all the time), how often are you honoring those values in your life? What might be some changes you need to make to better honor those values?

References:

Values-based coaching: Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)

Core values list: https://jamesclear.com/core-values