The most critical step for decision making in life and business that you're probably skipping over
When the question was put to me, “Who am I at my core?” I froze.
I had a million different ideas rushing towards me about who I thought I should be, what do other people want to hear, and what do I want to become? However, these answers were all avoiding the key element that the question was trying to uncover. That is, who am I at my most authentic? And how can I live that truth in my day-to-day life? How can I create a North Star for myself to guide my decision making? How can I tune into my gut instinct further and recognize not only good opportunities, but the bad ones when they’re presented to me?
Yeah, you can see why I froze.
When it comes to making decisions, are you ignoring or incorporating your core self? Your core values? How did your last decision serve you? Psychologists Barb Markway and Celia Ampel say values, “are the principles that give our lives meaning and allow us to persevere through adversity.” Our values help in business and life decisions, they give a guiding light to follow and make sure we're acting out of our own best interests.
Dr. Steven Hayes, the founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, suggests that you uncover your values by naming your heroes. So, who do you admire? And why? Leaders who fight for social justice? People who exude endless kindness? Those who seem to have an endless well of compassion, strength and sense of self?
Identifying the specific values that your most admired figures in society possess, can inspire you to adopt those values for yourself. Then, your core values will allow you to tap into what you most need and desire, they give us a boost of confidence to step into the world and claim that space
I started to explore my values in 2013, but they've evolved and grown as have I over the years. Being able to reexamine my list of 5-7 core values every 12 months has given me a renewed sense of focus, steadfastness and clarity in tackling new challenges and grabbing opportunities that come my way.
The value in upholding your values
Healing
Your values can even help you heal from different conditions. Several evidence-based treatments use values as the basis for treating mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Approaches that help you identify thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs that add to depression are often considered the most effective, so having a firm foundation of core values can help bolster this.
Inspiring
When you know your core values, it’s easier not to allow fear, anxiety, or negative thoughts to hold you back from pursuing what is most important to you, and what you’ve been putting off because of that fear.
Modern life has a way of distracting us from our true goals and many people find it hard to define their purpose in life. Your core values are the fuel that keeps you moving in the direction you set out to go, even when jitters or doubts show up. They’ll offer you that little pep talk you so often need when mishaps arise.
Maintaining
Discovering values and passion is one of the top positive psychology intervention techniques. Research has shown that personal goal setting and goal attainment plans help people gain a direction or a sense of purpose in life. By articulating your values, you can wake up with a sense of purpose that carries you throughout your day, no matter what hiccups or stressors arise.
Are you ready to answer the question of who you are at your core?
Values are a core part of our in person programs, and not only will you discover your core beliefs, but you’ll learn how to let them ground you, guide you and move you into your best light. For good.
