Core Values And Vision

The past weeks we have looked at dreaming big and achieving meaningful goals. We have also looked at two different exercises that will help us identify our personal and fundamental values in life.

We do that in order to have more clarity on what we are motivated by.  We can then align our decisions and actions to serve these values and live inspired and energized.

Are you serving your core values?

If you have been following my posts, you would have identified your top 3 values by now. Are you ready for the next exercise? This one will show you whether or not you are serving your core values.

Let’s look at your top 3 values and use "time spent" as one criteria to give us a sense of where you are with these values. What amount of time would you want to spend on activities that support each of your core values?

Then based on the past week, chart down the amount of time you actually did spend on each of these values.

For example if family, work and health are your top 3 core values, then based on the last week, how much of your waking time was spent in supporting these top 3 values?

We can take "Family Time" to be time spent being with your family members, doing things together, having discussion or sharing etc.

"Work Time" would include time you take to commute, time spent on the phone or computer doing work after you get home, time spent away from home on work trips etc.

Likewise, you can also decide the "Health" bucket to include time spent on doing groceries for your healthy food, preparing for meals, washing up, time at the gym or time spent meditating etc.

Now compare the two sets of time and see what trend you see.
If the results come as a surprise to you, then what changes would you like to implement?

Let Your Core Values Be Your Compass

Knowing you values is great; yet these values do not show up in your life and are not realized unless you take actions and make corresponding decisions that support them. Having "love" on top of the list is a good start. Not acting on it or working it out will soon takes its toll; this will generate a feeling of guilt. The disconnect between your value and your life will cause the sense of stress.

We do not want to drift through life reacting to the daily “urgent” matters and be caught up in crisis management mode. We do not want to live in the stress zone where life is spent reacting to what is presented to us by the environment.  We want to be in control and live with purpose and joy.

I hope you will take a little time to go through these exercises. The clearer your values and the more willing you are in serving these values the more inspired and purposeful will be your life.  Let your  values be your compass for making everyday decisions.

If you are stressed out or lethargic emotionally and mentally, you can use these short exercise to help you understand how to get back on track and live an inspired, energized and refreshing life again. If you need a little support and coaching, just contact me here. Alternatively, all these tips are discussed at great length in the home study course.

By the way, did you notice how many birds there are on the colorful tree? They  somehow manage to "be" together in their colorful world. I wonder how our birds are doing on our tree of happiness …