Do You Know The Value of “Values”?

Values – among coaches it’s a popular topic, but to be honest, prior to my coach training, I’d never given my values any thought. I’m guessing you probably haven’t either.

Now that I’ve been coaching for going on twelve years, I’ve discovered that knowing your values and more mindfully operating out them is quite nifty!

Of course, it’s possible to do life without knowing or identifying your values, because that’s what I did for far more years than I’ve been living with them, but why would you? Sometimes you don’t know what you are missing out on until you give try it!

It’s Like This…

For many years my husband and I willingly paid more to get low acid coffee. We both thoroughly enjoy coffee, but not always the after effects.  We were delighted to find a source for low acid coffee that we both approved of. Then, that source became unpredictable and so the quest for other options began. Sadly, none of the options lived up to my husband’s high standards in the bold taste department.

Then I ran across an article that talked about how adding egg shells to your coffee grounds naturally reduced the acid in coffee.

We immediately gave it a try! Guess what? It works! And because it does, the coffee options are far more numerous than they were when we were searching for organic low acid coffee.

Maybe the idea of adding eggs shells isn’t news to you, and if that’s true, I wish you’d told me sooner! But now that I know, I wonder how we limped along for so long without this tidbit of information!

I think you will find that knowing your values is a happy bit of info to have too! My values have become a significant part of me. They’ve made it possible for me to be more intentional as I go about life, which has proven to be quite beneficial!

Here’s What’s Surprising…

Your values are unique to YOU! Don’t be surprised when you find out that others operate from a completely different set of values! In fact, a clash of values is often behind many conflicts. In a marriage relationship, it’s common to share one or two values, while the rest are quite different.

Your values are what’s most important to you; the underlying motivators that guide your decisions, priorities, and so much more!

Because they are of the utmost importance to you, you would think that identifying them would be simple! However, often times your values are so intertwined with who you are that they get overlooked. It’s similar to downplaying a strength you possess because it is simply just you!

What I consider my Top 5 Values has shifted over the years as I’ve come to pinpoint those “so-much-a-part-of-me” values. If you are curious, I started out with these as my Top 5 Values:

Relationships (God, Family, & Friends), Communication, Health, Learning, and Solitude

Today, my Top 5 Values are:

Relationships (God, Family, & Friends), Communication, Stewardship, Creativity, and Practicality

It’s A Process Sometimes!

Wondering what happened to “health, learning, and solitude”? For me, they are all a part of how I am stewarding my time, energy, and resources so in essence they are rolled into the “stewardship” value and continue to be important to me. What I realized is that stewardship encompassed so much more and better reflected what was truly important to me.

Creativity has always been a part of who I am, yet its importance became more apparent over time. I treasure the time and space to be creative and I know I am at my best when I steward my time well so that creativity flourishes in my life.

It was another surprising discovery to realize how high practicality ranked in my life. Again, such a large part of who I missed it! Yet, because it repeatedly kept showing up as I made decisions, it simply had to be one of my Top 5 Values!

Values Are Non-Negotiable!

Yes, values are often so much a part of you that it’s tricky to tease them out. Yet if you are mindfully approaching life, you will spot the values you may have missed initially as times goes on because ultimately, your values are what matters most to you and what you are willing to go to bat for! Your values are non-negotiable for you.

If you’re serious about reaching goals or dreams, walking in your purpose, or just ready to experience more peace in life, your values are a BIG deal!

When you have a firm grasp on your values, they serve you on these amazing ways…

1. As A Filter

Your values are a filter for your life by screening out the “junk” – the stuff that is not important in your life.

Think of it this way – you dump the appropriate number of scoops of ground coffee (and egg shells) into your coffee maker or coffee press, add water, but you skip the filter. Five minutes later, you pour yourself a cup of coffee. What you end up with is a gritty, and perhaps chunky cup of coffee that leaves a lot to be desired! That undesirable texture overrides the wonderful flavor of the coffee.

Maybe you aren’t a coffee drinker – that’s a shame! Perhaps water is your drink of choice (just for the record, I like that too!). Straight up tap water – it looks great, might even taste OK, but a filter ensures that you remove unwanted and potentially harmful impurities from your water, like zinc, chlorine, mercury, lead, rust, and cadmium.

Sometimes it’s easy to spot the “junk” in your life because it’s obvious, like the grounds in unfiltered coffee. Other times the “junk” is harder to detect like the impurities in your water. Either way, filtering your life through your values leaves you with the good stuff.

2. A Way Narrow Your Focus

In life there are endless possibilities! Chasing them all is not only exhausting, but unrealistic and far from sustainable.

How do you determine what to pour your time and energy into? You filter your options through your values! Then you are able to skip opportunities that might potentially clash with your values and you certainly don’t need that rub!

3. An Alignment Tool

You don’t need unnecessary friction in your life! Your values expose areas that might ultimately throw your life or work out of balance and rob you of precious energy.

Struggling to reach a goal? How might your goal be out of alignment with your values?

Friction in a relationship? How might a rub be at play?

Work friction – consider your situation in light of your values.

4. Motivating

Your values naturally provide incentive because what’s important to you motivates you! How might you harness that motivation more in your life and work?

5. A Confidence Booster

Being clear on YOU, naturally leads to greater confidence. That means being clear on your Top 5 Values are confidence booster, along with clarity around your personality, thinking preferences, strengths, desires, who God created you to be, etc.

6. A Source of Peace

When your life is in harmony with your values there is peace. Minus that harmony peace fades.

Peace of mind comes when your life is
in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way.
–Stephen Covey

7. A Helpful Lens In Conflict

It’s also less personal when you understand that a conflict with someone else is actually a clash of values. With that information, you are able to sort the situation out more objectively and arrive at a solution that honors what’s most important to everyone involved.

8. Energizing!

When your life is filled with activities and responsibilities that don’t truly matter to you, it’s draining! Conversely, when you honor your values, it’s energizing!

9. Easily Articulated To Others

That’s the perk to knowing your values – it’s critical information that you are then able to articulate clearly and easily with those in your sphere. It sheds light on your choices, how you spend your time, and how you go about life!

Until your values are clear, and you intentionally apply them to your life, reaching your full potential may elude you! It makes sense; if you haven’t taken the time to identify them, what’s driving you is probably all little all over the place.

Skeptical that something as simple as identifying your values and applying them to your life makes a difference? Why not find out for yourself and identify them now?

What are your Top 5 Values? How are they serving YOU personally & professionally?

Not sure? Identify your Top 5 Values now.

Originally posted on 6/5/18, this post has been revised and updated just for YOU!