Do you know your top 3 core values?
At this time mine are growth, travel, and freedom!
I’ll explain why clarifying them can be really helpful.
One of the benefits of knowing your core values is that it makes decision making a whole lot easier. Especially big decisions. When in contemplation mode, ask yourself, is this decision aligned with my core values? If not, it may be coming from a place of fear, grasping, or what you think you’re supposed to do.
In my opinion, the greatest benefit to being clear about your values is that you can easily see if your life is aligned with what means the most to you. It’s very helpful in seeing if it’s time to make an adjustment.
Some things to look at include:
*Am I spending the majority of my discretionary income on the things I cherish most?
*Am I spending time doing things that are in line with my core values?
*Do the people I surround myself with have similar values? Do they respect mine?
I suffered for many years because I had chosen a career that wasn’t aligned with my core values. It was something I was good a but didn’t bring me a sense of fulfillment. At the time I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t feel right. Looking back, I can see that it was because it didn’t align with what I cared about most. This made working there so challenging. Since I wasn’t aware of my core values then, I couldn’t make decisions accordingly and was in a career that wasn’t the right fit for me.
The job I’m referring to was working in retail as a makeup artist for a makeup line. While I loved helping people, and the creativity of doing makeup, I felt so stuck. It was a job that didn’t have a lot of growth potential, my number one value. And I had to work a very specific schedule including all weekends and holidays, which took away my sense of freedom and ability to travel.
So to say this was unfulfilling is an understatement. I left work feeling deflated daily. I resented coming to work each day, being asked: did I open any credit cards, and how many cold calls did I make for our upcoming event? It left me feeling completely trapped. I happen to be someone who thrives on freelance and entrepreneurial work.
The funny thing about it is, that what felt like jail for me, may feel so fulfilling for another. For someone whose core values are communication, using talents, and service, this could be a perfect match.
I learned something so important with this career. Just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you should do it for a living!
I cannot express the importance of being clear on your values and living a life that’s aligned with them. Whether it has to do with career, relationships, or lifestyle. Living a life aligned with your core values is where fulfillment begins.
So if you’d like to define these for yourself, here are 3 simple steps!
- Begin by using the chart below and circling or writing down the top 10 that call to you.
- From there, cross off the ones from least importance until you get down to your top 5.
- Then circle the three that feel the most important to you….and voila those are your top 3 core values!
You can also write them down and post them somewhere you’ll see them often, as a reminder.
I am confident once you make this simple decision, you will start to see how it benefits all areas of your life. I wish every one of you a great week, and one of living in alignment with who you really are!
