Have you ever stopped to think about what your personal values and beliefs are?
For years I have worked with brands helping to determine their values as part of a bigger brand strategy. A brands' values drive and unify the internal culture and behaviour of its organisation. They will determine how the brand behaves, the products or services they develop, how it interacts, the decisions it makes and how it shows up.
Take Apple for instance, one of their values is innovation and you can see how that plays out in everything they do, from the products they develop to their retail stores, the way they communicate and the way their staff are encouraged to "think differently" and challenge the status quo. Values are the guiding force for a brand.
Most of us however never really stop to think about our own values, I know I never did. It wasn't until I felt completely stuck, questioning what I was doing and why I was doing something that I realised, what I was doing was no longer aligned to mine.
So what are values?
They are our personal beliefs, they are who we are and not who we think we should be to fit in. They're our internal navigation system. Our values give us a sense of purpose. And when our actions and values are aligned we feel energised, and more fulfilled. Our values shine light on what really matters to us. Each of us has our own set of values that is unique to us.
Imagine having a value of authenticity and then working for a company whose behaviour were anything but - politics, backstabbing and gossiping. It becomes incredibly challenging working in such an environment and internal stress and conflict will soon kick in.
We don't consciously think about our values, they operate at a sub conscious level most of the time. But, they underpin the decisions we make in our life, from the partners we choose, to the jobs we do, and the businesses we set up. Whenever I explore values with clients, more often than not, the things they are spending their time doing, compared to the things they consider to be really important to them, i.e. their values, aren't aligned.
It's the reason why most coaches will want you to get clear on what your values are. If you're not clear on them, how can you expect to figure out what you really want? They exist in all of us whether you recognise them or not. Being clear on your values certainly makes life and life decisions a heck of a lot easier. You will make better choices and better decisions. In the words of the Dalai Lama "open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values"
If you're considering changing lanes, make sure you're clear on your values first. Below are a few questions to help you determine yours!
Grab a pen and paper, take yourself away from your daily routine, somewhere you'll feel inspired and ask yourself these questions...
What's really important to you?
List as many things as you can here; write everything that comes to mind.
What brings you the most happiness in life? Think about what contributed to that happiness, who you were with, what you were doing.
What characteristics do you most admire in people? Often these characteristics will be the values you most admire.
What annoys you most about people? (Often the opposite of this will be something you value, e.g. opposite of laziness is hardworking or determined)
Now, have a look at your list and circle the words that resonate the most strongly with you. Try and get it down to 5-7 words
Ask yourself with each of your values
"How would I feel if this was taken away from me" If you feel indifferent, its probably not a core value. If you feel mortified at the thought of not having it in your life, it's a keeper.
Photo by Jeremy Peters Photography, UK