Why Personal Core Values Are Important & How To Define Them
Why personal core values are important is because they are a part of you. They highlight what you stand for so learn the simple steps to discovering your personal core values.
Hi Trish Davies, here from Build Your AU and TrishDaviesInternernational.com. As promised from my previous post on self-discovery journey I am going to focus on personal core values.
Just like self-discovery, defining personal values are very important for all aspects of your life. They also come together to create your authenticity which is vital for any business aspirations that you hold.
Your personal core values are things that are important to you in your life therefore this is what you live by. With that said though there will be some circumstances that occur that create some form of inconsistency. Inconsistency in respect that you are not forthright and clear on what your personal core values are.
Personal Value Inconsistency Examples
For example, you may have been in a situation where someone has said something, but you disagree with them. What they say just doesn’t sit right with how you feel. The trouble is that for what ever reason you did not speak out on how you feel which then leads to regret.
Another example is that maybe your life hasn’t developed the way you hoped it would when you were younger. You may have had a picture in your mind, your future self so to speak but unfortunately that image has manifested itself into reality.
One last example is that, again, for whatever reason you have lived your life through other peoples lens’s. Meaning that you have been trying to please them at the expense of yourself.
If any of these examples resonate with you then I encourage you to read my previous post on self-discovery journey. Personal core values and self-discovery are very closely linked.
Why Personal Core Values Are Important
Just to reiterate your personal core values are the things that are important to you. You are going to have some which are the same as other people. The difference is that your list of core values is part of your DNA.
Part of that personal core value DNA are your own characteristics and how you behave. When combined they are the triggers that motivate you to make the decisions that you do.
A personal core value example is integrity. Now the definition of integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. The way you show integrity in business for example is this. Being honest with your customer as to what your product does and not selling something that is not fit for purpose.
That’s just one example but the point is this. When you define your personal values, you can live a more fulfilled life, making choices that make you happy. Then you can go to be at night with a clear conscious that you are doing everything right in your mind.
How To Define Your Personal Values
The best place to start when defining your personal values is to look at what makes you feel good. Just to be clear the characteristics you have and how you behave that make you feel good.
So, if one of your core personal values is integrity as mentioned every time you are honest with people that will make you feel good. In other words, do what you say and say what you mean.
Right, it’s time to get practical, time for you to do some work. What I mean is that I am going to list some common questions to help you define your own personal core values. Then you will have a list of your own personal values to work from.
I could give you a list of personal core values, but they run to hundreds and this is something you can do a google search on. I don’t feel that benefits you though because I want you to come up with your own list and not be influenced by what’s online already. Here’s the exercise.
- In life what is important to you?
- If you could have any career what would it be?
- When was the happiest period of your life?
- What is your proudest achievement?
- Is there anything else you are proud of?
- What inspires you?
- What angers you?
- Is there one thing you would change about yourself?
I think that is enough questions for you to peruse over as there are plenty of emotional triggers in there. Those emotional triggers will define your personal core values and give you a healthy list of what defines you as a person.
Prioritize Your Personal Core Values
Now you have a list of your personal core values. If you have struggled pinpoint any core values from your answers here is a link to a list to help you gain some clarity. Then what you must do is prioritize them. I am not saying that some hold more value than others, in general they don’t but some may have slightly more sway with you.
This is a way to laser focus on what are the most important things in your life, not anyone else’s. What is important to you will create a direction or a path you want to follow. It could also form the foundations to any business that you may want to set up.
Then from top to bottom you can allocate your time on the core values that mean the most to you. The ones that will make the most impact on you and people around you.
Live By Your Core Personal Values
At this stage you will have a list of your personal core values. That list may be small and selective or could contain dozens. Whatever the size that list is you must then start to live your life in line with your personal values. So how can you do that?
First you could use your personal values to set goals in the short, medium, and long term. First be honest and ask yourself are you living your life in one with your personal values.
Does the job you do reflect those values? Are you doing the things outside of work that you enjoy? Time is very precious so ask yourself are you spending your time on things that are important to you?
Therefore, look at your list of personal values and start putting them into practice. For example, you may have a personal value such as healthy lifestyle. Therefore, you can start to work out a healthy eating plan. Then in conjunction with that plan you can create an exercise routine that you can do on a daily basis.
It is important to make a list of actionable steps for each core value. The next step is to then set goals for each personal value. Set weekly, monthly, and yearly goals but make sure your goals are aligned with your personal values.
Another thing about goal setting is that you must journal them in some form. You could write them down and then read them back to yourself on a daily basis. Create goal cards and have them on your person for quick reference.
Set them as a background for your phone or computer. The point is to always have them on hand to keep you on track. Another great tip is to visualise the day ahead, to plan out that day to ensure you live by the personal values you have and the goals you have set.
Adapt & Change Your Values If Needed
Now this may sound strange, but your personal values don’t necessarily need to be set in stone. In all probability your core personal values will remain the same but there may be circumstances where tings change.
As you get older your thought processes may change, you may have a different point of view on things. Therefore, your core personal values may change in regard to priority, you may need to make those shift changes.
Ones that may have been further down the list may come more to prominence. There is nothing wrong with this, as I said your main personal core values will in essence remain the same, but they may need a re-gig from time to time.
I hope I have given you some clarity on why personal core values are important. Also, I hope that I have helped you define your core personal values. Please leave me a comment below or feel free to ask questions that you need more clarification on. Good luck with defining your personal core values and start living your life which is aligned with what is important to you.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority, and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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