How To Create The Core Values That Drive Your Decisions

 

This has been a dark week in America.

 

The bad news out of Las Vegas has added complexity and chaos to your already busy life.

 

The world was already full of enough distractions, but this made it even easier to get lost in the dark rabbit hole of the news. You might also have found yourself wasting hours in debates on social media, too. But for what? How did any of this serve your life’s legacy?

 

The harsh truth is that it didn’t. This drama, as terrible of a tragedy as it was, only distracted you from the work and people that really mattered in your life.

 

So you’re probably thinking, Craig, how the heck do you stay focused in the world of dark distractions and overwhelming opportunity?

 

The answer is to know your values in life and what really matters to you.

 

You see, your VALUES drive everything...

 

They dictate what you eat, how much you sleep, how much TV you watch, how you conduct business, how you spend your free time, and what you allow to occupy your mind.

 

When you have clearly and concisely articulated your values, then you can draw upon them to say YES to what matters and to cut what doesn’t matter from your schedule.

 

If you want to do GREAT things, you have to do FEWER things.

 

Let me say that again so you can write that down.

 

If you want to do GREAT things, you have to do FEWER things.

 

Today we’re going to do a little exercise together. You’re even getting a little handout and some homework to do after you’re done reading.

You’ll see there’s a question at the top of the page and underneath it are my answers to the question. My answers are there to guide you. They are not to influence you and have you copy my answers, but they are there so that you’ll see the values I operate upon in my life. And that helps you understand why I make the decisions I make.

 

The million dollar question at the top of the page reads:

 

What are the greatest accomplishments you want to achieve

in the next 20 years for each of your top values in life?

 

Then you see my answers to this question for what I have labeled as the four top values in everyone’s life.

 

Value #1 – Family

 

For me, my greatest family value accomplishment is to find my beautiful wife and have two or more amazing children.

 

Now if you read that fast it might look like it says I want to have two or more wives. That is not the case. One will be enough!

 

As you can imagine, with this as my goal for my #1 value in life, it dictates almost every decision I make ... I travel less for business, I work less, and I spend my weekends with my girlfriend instead of out with my buddies or hiding behind a computer working.

 

Value #2 – Health

I want to feel like I’m 17 forever, as I do today at age 42. This drives what I eat, how much I sleep, and my commitment to daily movement.

 

Value #3 – Wealth

 

I’m aiming to add so much value to the world that I build a $10 million net worth, that will give me and my family the financial freedom for a great life, as well as the ability to donate significant amounts of money to the three causes greatest to me: Shriners Hospital, Toys for Tots, and my local hospital in Stratford, Ontario.

 

Value #4 – Experiences

 

I’m a lucky man having experienced many bucket list-style items. I no longer care about those. Instead, what matters to me, aside from family experiences, is writing 3 more books that have as big – or bigger – of an impact as my book, The Perfect Day Formula.

 

Those are my values. You can see how they clearly dictate what I should do with my time. I can judge the opportunities that come my way with a clear and concise yardstick.

 

Does a bachelor party trip for a friend fit into my schedule based on my values? No, I’m sorry. It doesn’t.

 

Does filming a new set of exercise DVDs for my old fitness business fit in? No.  Someone else can do that.

 

My clear and concise values dictate that I construct my day around my writing, my health, and family time.

 

Once you write down your values then your daily schedule will become much more clear to you.

 

You’ll also give yourself permission to say NO without hesitation or guilt.

That’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself in life.

Because remember...

 

If you want to do GREAT things, you have to do FEWER things.

 

You must know your values and vision so they drive all decisions in life.

 

If this was helpful, but you need more help constructing your vision and identifying what really matters to you, then I would love to see you at my Perfect Life Retreat event in San Diego on November 9-10th.

 

You can learn more about the big event at PerfectLifeRetreat.com