Checking In With What Matters

Recently, I found myself wanting to revisit my values as a way of re-anchor myself in day to day focus and direction I want to be set for my life.  So, I pulled out the Quick Look at Your Values worksheet that I like to recommend and began working through it.

I ignored the guidelines a little and expanded to eight core values, as I was struggling to choose or create the overlap I was looking for.  I finally settled on Self-Care & Development, Order, Freedom Adventure, Connection, Curiosity, Kindness and Fun. Turns out, not much has changed for me since the last time I completed the exercise. The additions were Fun and Curiosity, as well as  linking in Self-Development to Self-Care.

Revisiting this exercise and practice of reflection, reminded me that values are not something we identify once and then set aside. Taking time to regularly examine our values helps us to ensure we are living intentionally rather than on autopilot. Reconnecting with our values allows us to notice where we continue to be aligned and where we may have become misaligned.

Now comes the fun part: considering each of these values, why they matter to me, and how I want them to  show up in my life. I’m going to start by reflecting on the new additions.  I am pairing this with a mid-year reset of my goals and habits. Taking time to examine how I’m living and setting intentional goals is something I try to do a couple of times each year so that I have a clear roadmap for the months ahead.

Engaging in a regular goals evaluation,  doesn’t have to mean that I complete the full values exercise every time, but rather that I bring those identified values into consideration whenever I engage in this practice. Then, as I make adjustments in my life, I can ensure my choices are intentional and aligned with what matters most to me.

Revisiting this process has also inspired me to develop a framework that helps people move from identifying their values to putting those values into action.  I want to find a way to make it easier for people to bring their values into everyday life in a practical and intentional way. This is a side project I hope to pursue over time. In the meantime, I’ll focus on reflecting on how I want these newly identified values to guide my day-to-day life.