“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Ask someone in grade school this question and you’ll hear, “A fireman!” “A police officer!” “A teacher!” Eventually, these kids go on to college, and choose a major that will hopefully be the foundation for their adult lives and future success.
Nearly 75 percent of graduates will go into a field unrelated to their major. Fifty percent have jobs that don’t even require a college education. Yet almost 60 percent are considering advanced degrees with the hope of landing somewhere that values their education, such as consulting or investment banking.
America is obsessed with an education system in which the investment doesn’t match the payoff. Many invest in an education without understanding their true purpose. Is it any wonder that most people are unhappy and disengaged at their jobs?
I believe it is difficult to know what your purpose is because we are asking the wrong question. We start questioning our life’s work early in life. It’s obvious to me that the answer to the question, “What will I do with my life?” cannot be answered by textbooks, lectures, or study hall. However, there is a way to live a purposeful life even if you don’t know what your purpose is.
It comes down to knowing, with precision, what you value.
Values are important because they are the compass you use to navigate your own life. Values not only shape your life, but they shape the culture of a company. Values help you make decisions both in your own life and at work.
How do you determine your values? I’ll share what I did to arrive to my own satisfactory conclusion after decades of searching.
- One of my favorite online tests is the Core Value Index by Taylor Protocols. I have also taken the Myers Briggs and the Enneagram by the Enneagram Institute. By first understanding yourself and how you show up in the world, you can determine what aspects of your personality are non-negotiable. I believe these core personality traits are tied to your core values. For example, I have an uncompromising relationship with truth. The quest for truth is one of my core values.
- You can search online for worksheets that list common values. Print out the worksheet and circle all the values that are important to you. Don’t overthink it - just circle what feels right. This method doesn’t work for everyone. When I did it I ended up with 20 values. Personally, I don’t think you can serve that many masters.
- You can create your own method, as I ended up doing. My method is based on self-awareness. For one week, I paid attention to everything that caused a visceral reaction within me. A visceral reaction is that knee-jerk moment where you want to respond but don’t. Or if you do, then why? This can be something you read on social media or watch on TV. It can be something someone says to you. Pay attention to that precise moment. Chances are, if you are a reasonable human being, the person or interaction tested a core value.
I’ve been able to narrow down my values to freedom, truth and authenticity. During a period in my life when I felt like I had no goals, no vision, no hope, I focused solely on my values. I used these values as my compass. If you live your values, this means you are taking action every single day, even when you don’t have a specific goal. You show up every day honoring those values. Eventually the actions you take will lead you on the right path -- like a compass -- and you will feel more at peace when someone asks you, “What do you want to do with your life?”