Values help us to navigate change more easily, to connect more fully
with what’s around us, and to grow more surely into who, or what we want to
become. Values are a reflection of
our beliefs and what we hold as important. Having clarity about our values
empowers us to make the right choices and decisions, to take action and move
toward our specific purpose and the life that we intend for ourselves.

Values are not goals,
they are choices that we feel right with. They are not rules, they are
qualities we choose freely.

“Values
describe what you want to do and how you want to do it.”

Being in touch with our values really helps to
give our life meaning.

They are like our
guiding stars. If we can align our
life with our values, we feel more like ourselves, we feel more excited, energised,
at peace and effortless. If we are
aligned with our values, it can make a significant impact on our performance
and achievement.

Personal values come
under headings like: adventure, creativity, spirituality leadership, wellbeing
and contribution. They are qualities such as fun, beauty inspiration,
ingenuity, being energised. They don’t drive us to achieve, we are attracted to
these qualities and they give our daily lives more meaning when we integrate
them into our lifestyle.

Values elicitation is a
valuable part of my coaching work with clients. I like to align with the work
of Russ Harris – ACT mindfully. Russ provides a framework to establish your
values in the key areas of life, and this is a helpful guide when we are making
mindful choices and decisions. You will find this in his book The Happiness Trap or tap into this
simple values resource that will help you get started.

“Values
are your heart’s deepest desires for how you want to behave as a human being.
Values are not about what you want to get or achieve; they are about how you
want to behave or act on an ongoing basis; how you want to treat yourself,
others, the world around you.”

Russ
Harris

How do you know if it’s a value?

It attracts you, it resonates
and draws you forward, it comes from within, for what you truly want to be
doing.  There’s no right or wrong, with a
value, most importantly it feels right for you. If you find yourself saying I should or I have to, or I must –
check in with yourself, you may be trying to inject someone else’s, or
societies expectations and values upon your self.

There is no “should”
“must”, or “have to” with values.

In the past you may have
set goals, and found it hard work striving to make them happen.  If you’re not achieving your goals, you probably think you’ve
failed. You may even beat yourself up, and this can lower your feelings of
self-worth, when you think that you’re not able to complete your goals or do
what you say.

Rather than purely
striving to achieve goals, when we live a values focused life – we are working
toward an end result, while staying in touch with values and bringing them to
play in our life. This means appreciating the journey as well as working toward
the goal, aligning with values fulfills you right now.

When you set
goals aligned with your values you are much more likely to achieve them. They
give you a focus and priority and can help inform
your decisions and actions, they are the key to your empowerment and
fulfilment.

By aligning each area of your life with your values you can find more satisfaction right where you are, as well as working toward wonderful new intentions for your future. Your gift a Values Booklet

“Success in life means living by your values”

Russ Harris