The Elmer Liu Show - A Podcast Devoted To Helping You Become The Wealthiest Version Of Yourself Through Property

013 - How I Find My Highest Values Part 1

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In the last episode, we talked about how important it is to identify your highest values and then set goals according to your highest values. 
 
You will love your work, love what you do and have a much more enjoyable and fulfilling life. 
 
If you don’t have your highest values identified, you will more than likely follow other people’s values. 
 
Also, I used to think the solution is to find my passion and follow my passion. 
 
Your passions are not your highest values. You develop your passion for something when whatever you are doing happen to be in alignment with your highest values. 
 
E.g. I am passionate about fitness, reading, basketball all of which being my interests and that’s because they reflect my highest values. 
 
 
You see, you don’t have to chase your passion, you go and find your highest values, find things that are reflective of them, then you will be passionate about those activities/goals. 
 
There are some questions we can ask ourselves to identify our highest values and there are 13 questions you can ask yourself,
 
I found this exercise highly helpful and I am still trying to identify my highest values.  
 
So in this episode, let’s go through the first 6 questions, and we will go through the rest next week. 
 
Question 1: What do you fill your primary personal or professional space? 
 
Look carefully and specifically at how you fill your personal or professional space.
 
What are the three items that you fill your space with most? What three items stand out in your space?
 
Items that are not highly important to you are tossed or placed distantly in the trash, the attic or the garage. 
 
If you walked into your home or company office space and looked carefully at your cubicle where you work, what would you see? 
  • Do you see your computer or business materials?
  • Do you see business awards, certificates, books, reference materials?
  • Do you see trophies from sports?
  • Do you see design items, paintings, arts, crafts?
  • Do you see animals and pictures and books on your animals?
  • Do you see books and magazines on building wealth?
  • Do you see pictures of your children
 
Question 2: How do you spend your time when you are awake? 
 
Look carefully and accurately at how you spend your time. 
 
What are the three things that you spend your time on most? 
 
You will make time for things that are really important to you and you will run out of time for things that aren’t. 
 
We often hear people say oh.. I don’t have time for this and that… it’s actually because whatever they don’t have time for is not important to them even though they might think otherwise. 
 
You simply figure out how to do so.
So look carefully at how you spend your time. Look at how you structure your 24 hour day. What do you most often do in those 16-18 hours of awake time? You will allocate your time for things that are important to you 
If something is not important you will keep putting it off until tomorrow.
Some examples 
  • Do you work 10 hours of the day? I used to work 14 hours a day 
  • Do you socialize for 4 hours a day?
  • Do you read or study 3 hours daily?
  • Do you spend 3 hours a day with your children?
  • Do you spend hours on and love shopping?
  • Do you work out, do yoga and train for 2 hours a day?
How do you actually spend your time tells you what you actually value? 
 
 
Question 3 - How do you spend your energy most?
 
You will run out of energy for things that aren't important. 
How do you spend your energy and what energizes you? What do you always find the energy for most? You manifest energy for things that are truly important to you and that inspire you.
Have a look at where you feel most vital and enthused in your day to day activities. 
Things that are low on your values will tend to drain you and things that are high on your values list will tend to energize you.
  • Is it being at work?
  • Is it solving problems that make a difference in other people's lives?
  • Is it working out?
  • Is it socializing?
  • Is it cooking and entertaining for friends or loved ones?
  • Is it shopping?
  • Is it reading a great book or learning about what inspires you?
  • Is it leading or managing people at work or at home?
When you are doing or fulfilling something throughout the day that is truly highest on your values, something that you love and is inspired by, you will have more energy at the end of the day than when you started because you will feel you have accomplished something. 
So, what are the 3 actions that you love to spend your energy on and that most energize you?
 
Question 4 - How do you spend your money most?
How do you spend your money and your resources most? 
 
What are the three things that you spend your money on most? 
 
You will feel reluctant to spend money on things you perceive to be unimportant.
 
If something means a lot to you, you will figure out a way to pay for it. You create or find the money for things that are truly valuable or highly important to you. You run out of money and don't want to spend money on things that are not important to you.
You might be considered to be 'cheap' when you do not want to spend your money on things that are too low on your priority/value list. 
You don't want to part with your money for things that are not important to you.
  • Do you spend your money mostly on your home and security?
  • Do you spend it back into your business development?
  • Do you spend it on clothes and accessories for your appearance?
  • Do you spend in on specialized education?
  • Do you spend it on social activities or events?
  • Do you spend it on entertainment?
 
Question 5 - What are you organized and ordered most? 
Where are you ordered and organized most? Where do you have the highest degree of order and organization? 
You have at least a few areas of order and areas of disorder in your life. 
 
The things that are important to you, you will spend time organizing making sure everything is in order.
You will tend to bring order and organization to things that are important to you and you will tend to have chaos and disorder in things that are low on your values 
 
so look at where you have the greatest degree of order and organization in your life.
  • Do you have an organized social calendar?
  • Do you have an organized workout schedule?
  • Do you have an organized eating or dietary regime?
  • Do you have an organized financial house?
  • Do you have an organized business agenda and management routine?
  • Do you have an organized cooking arrangement?
  • Do you have an organized children management?
Look at where you display the highest degree of order and organization in your life. Identify the three areas that stand out with the greatest degree of order and organization. Do not lie to yourself and say you don't have such order in your life. 
 
Question 6 - What are you most reliable, disciplined and focused? 
Where are you most reliable, disciplined and focused? 
What are the three things you are most reliable on? 
Whatever is highest on your value, you will be disciplined to do.
If something is important to you, you will be dedicated to doing it. 
 
You don't and won't have to be reminded or motivated from the outside to do it. You will be inspired from within to do what is truly most important. So you look at what are the 3 things that you are most reliable, disciplined, focused on doing, where nobody has to get you up or remind you to do them.
  • Is it your studies?
  • Is it you work out routine?
  • Is it your social or social media interaction?
  • Is it your appearance?
  • Is your dietary or eating regime?
  • Is it your business management or activities?
  • Is it your family management and attention?