How much do you think about your values? And to what degree do you live by them?
Are your values solid, written in tablets of stone, not to be altered or changed?
Do you even know which are your core values?
And why is this so important?
Your values, if they are well considered and meaningful to you, are the foundations of the beliefs on which you base many of your decisions.
In order to be consistent, which is essential for your reputation and your sense of well-being, you need to make consistent decisions, so those decisions must be based on what you believe to be true and valuable.
The Challenge of Conflicting Values
Often when confronted with the need to make a decison we are confused by conflicts within our own values.
For instance our value of loyalty could be put under pressure by the need to be truthful about a friend who has committed a misdemeanour.
All parents will recognise how their children challenge their value of being loving by their tendency to lack order, tranquility and conformity.
People who place a high value on adventure can find themselves in conflict with partners and colleagues who value security more highly.
Hierarchy of Values
The big advantage of having a hierarchy of values is that you can make consistent decisions with greater ease.
If, for instance, you know that “love and your family” is your highest value then you would find it easier to walk away from a “secure” job in order to spend more time with your family.
If “independence” is a higher value than “advancement and promotion” then you will probably find it easier to start your own business.
If “power and authority” are high values for you, it may be that you will find it difficult to work with people for whom “democracy” is a high value.
Do you Know Your Core Values?
In my experience not too many people have thought carefully about their core values. They tend to believe that they know what they are because they have emerged during their lives, but they have not listed them down or quantified which are the most important.
Is it important to know your values and to have rated them? I think it is because it helps to clarify one’s thinking and it makes so many decisions easier.
What do you think?
If you’re unsure about your core values, please contact me and I will send you a short exercise that will help you discover what is most important to you.
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