The Hidden Force Shaping Your Choices: Discovering Your Core Values

Have you ever felt paralyzed by a tough decision, unsure of which path to take? Or worse, made a choice you later regretted because it didn’t align with what truly matters to you? You’re not alone. The root cause might surprise you.

During the Great Recession, I was desperately in need of a break. The relentless pace of work was wearing me down, so Gail and I planned a vacation to a secluded cabin in the Colorado Rockies.?

As we landed in Dallas for our connecting flight, I received a message from my boss insisting that I return to Nashville for an important meeting.

Faced with a tough decision, I knew my core values had to guide me. Work was important, but it wasn’t everything. I told my boss, “I’m sorry, but I’m headed to the mountains for a much-needed week of vacation.”

It wasn’t an easy decision, and he wasn’t happy, but my core values gave me the clarity and courage to prioritize what mattered most.

This experience reinforced a crucial lesson: having a set of clearly defined core values is essential for navigating life’s challenges and making decisions that align with our true selves. Today, we’ll explore why core values are so important and how you can define your own.

What Are Core Values?

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and principles that guide your behavior and decision-making. They’re the essence of who you are and what you stand for. Think of them as your personal constitution—a set of rules that govern your actions and choices. Research has shown that individuals who live in alignment with healthy core values experience greater well-being and life satisfaction.

Who Needs Core Values?

The short answer? Everyone. Whether you’re a CEO, a stay-at-home parent, a student, or a retiree, having a clear set of core values is crucial. They’re not just for business leaders or motivational speakers; they’re for anyone who wants to live a purposeful, authentic life. Studies have found that people who have a clear sense of their personal values are more resilient in the face of stress and adversity.

Defining your core values is a powerful exercise that can transform your life. It’s not always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding.

Why You Need to Define Your Core Values

1. Clarity in Decision-Making: When faced with tough choices, your core values act as a compass, pointing you toward the right path. Research shows that individuals who make decisions aligned with their values experience less decision regret.
2. Consistency in Behavior: Values help you maintain integrity by ensuring your actions align with your beliefs across different situations. This consistency has been linked to increased trust and respect from others.
3. Increased Confidence: Knowing what you stand for boosts self-assurance and reduces anxiety in challenging situations. Studies have found a positive correlation between value clarity and self-esteem.
4. Improved Relationships: Clear values help you connect with like-minded individuals and navigate differences with others. Research indicates that shared values are a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction.
5. Enhanced Focus: Values help you prioritize what truly matters, eliminating distractions and increasing productivity. A study found that employees who felt their personal values aligned with their company’s values reported higher job satisfaction and performance.

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How to Define Your Core Values

1. Reflect on Peak Experiences: Think about times when you felt most fulfilled. What values were you honoring in those moments?
2. Identify Role Models: Consider people you admire. What values do they embody?
3. Examine Your Reactions: When you feel strongly about something (positive or negative), ask yourself what value is being honored or violated.
4. List and Prioritize: Write down potential values and narrow them down to the most essential ones (aim for 5-7).
5. Define Each Value: Write a brief description of what each value means to you personally.

To illustrate, here are my core values:

Defining your core values is a powerful exercise that can transform your life. It’s not always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Our LifeFocus program can help streamline this process, providing tools like Core Value cards to guide you. However, the most important thing is to start the process, with or without additional resources.

Remember, your core values are uniquely yours. They should resonate deeply with you and reflect your authentic self. Once defined, they become a powerful tool for navigating life’s complexities with confidence and purpose.

What values will you choose to guide your life? How might they change the decisions you make moving forward? Take some time this week to reflect on these questions. Your future self will thank you for the clarity and direction you’re creating today.

The Workbench

This week, I want to spotlight a tool that’s transformed my email management: Missive. I’ve been using this with Jim, my assistant, for about a year now, and we love it.

In our increasingly collaborative work environments, traditional email clients often fall short. This is where missive shines.

1. Team Collaboration: Easily share and discuss emails with your team, streamlining communication and decision-making.
2. Built-in AI: Leverage artificial intelligence to draft responses, summarize long emails, or translate messages.
3. Response Templates: Save time with customizable templates for frequent replies.
4. Multiple Accounts and Signatures: Manage various email accounts and identities from one unified inbox.
5. Unified Inbox: See all your emails in one place, reducing the need to switch between accounts.

I’ve found Missive to be transformative for productivity and team communication. If you’re looking to upgrade your email experience, especially in a collaborative setting, I highly recommend giving Missive a try.

In pursuit of the Double Win,

P.S. I’ve just opened up a new spot in my private coaching program! If you’re ready to make a breakthrough in both your professional and personal life, this is your chance to work directly with me, one-on-one, to achieve the Double Win. I only have one spot available, so I know it will go fast. Get the details and apply here.

Our Mission: At Full Focus, we believe everyone deserves to win at work and succeed at life. Our mission is to make it nearly impossible for people not to get the Double Win?.

You can find my previous newsletter issues here: Beyond the Hustle Archive.