What human behaviors and ways of being do you value?
Knowing your values is like having a constant guide 0n board. They keep you in line and give you a sense of inner peace. They help you make decisions and they help you do the right thing when you are going off the path or feel lost. They are essential. The things that make you who you are, your identity.
We may have grown up with values that don’t actually align with us now. Sometimes we think we value things that we actually don’t live by. Sometimes we value things that we think we are suppose to value but they aren’t authentic to us.
Living In Alignment With Your Values
Knowing your personal core values can lead to a deeper relationship with yourself, helping you to understand your motivations and your passions, and increasing self security.
Your values can guide your visions and goals. You can use your values to guide your decisions, especially the hardest ones.
Knowing your values is essential to improving your connection with others. Being true to yourself will draw you to like-minded people and more compatible relationships.
The Process of Assessing Your Values
The process of assessing your values takes time. Your values are just that, yours. The process is a kind of sifting. Sifting through many values words until you have narrowed it down to 4 to 8 words that are authentically you. Having more than 8 ‘words to live by’ is challenging so I usually recommend that clients focus on 4 to 8.
- You must take ‘the tests’, evaluate the outcome, maybe re-take the test, and analyze the results again. (values assessments to choose from below).
- You must sit with your results and ask yourself, is this really you, tweak it, rearrange the order.
- Then post them in multiple places to keep them in the forefront: in a journal, on your project board, on your phone.
- Then take the assessment again next season or next year, because values do change as we change.
Notice the feelings of honoring your true self, increased trust in yourself, and perhaps a new level of resolve or peace.
Here are some options that I have personally tested and recommend.
personal values test free, take it multiple times, great definitions and ways to think about how values guide your life and purpose, no junk email
values institute free, foundational questions to start about your current state of well being and happiness.
values cards nice printable for posting around your home or office.
career test with detailed report This costs $1.95 and you need to cancel your subscription right after receiving the report (if you wish). Worth it in my opinion.
I hope you find these helpful and validating and that it strengthens your self perception. It is apart of the early stages of therapy and clients find it helpful as a guide for life decisions.
