What are "Values?"

The idea of “values” is one of the most ambiguous & misunderstood concepts out there.  

Sure, you sat through a leadership workshop where they gave you a sheet of 100 words and asked you to narrow them down to your top 10 - then 5 - and there are your values!

That was easy.

In all seriousness though, values can be extremely important and useful, especially as you get older and start living a more personal lifestyle unique to you.

So what is a simple definition of values?

You can think of values as the beliefs and principles that guide the decisions and choices you make.  They come together to form the inner compass that we each have, shaping the instincts and reactions that occur within us across different situations.

Another way to think about them is to come at them in reverse.

What habits do you have and what values do they represent?

What big decisions have you made and what values do they represent?

How do you spend your time each day and what values does that represent?

Now, if you are answering those questions in your head and thinking - “wait a second, those don’t seem like values I (want to) hold” - then we’ve arrived at an important realization.

We all grew up with inherited values - but ultimately, you choose the values you want to live by.

As children, the greatest influence on our development are the people we spend the most time around.  The people we watch and hear and wait for and follow.

And for many of us, those people are our families.

Our parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents.

Whoever raised you shaped you.

That is where the story of your values begins.

What did your parents expect of you and why?

How did they spend their time and why?

How did the resolve conflicts and why?

Embedded in those answers are your inherited values - and you may find that many of them still hold true for you today.

And maybe there are others that no longer resonate with you.

The point is that now you should start to think about them intentionally and use them to guide your actions - especially when it comes to achieving your goals.

Your “value-set” determines your “mindset.”

If you are starting a business, what values do you need to hold to ensure success?

If you want to improve your fitness, what values do you need to hold to make it happen?

If you want to be a better partner or improve your relationships, what values do you need to hold to make that possible?

Normally, I would give you a slew of personal and professional examples.  However, I’ve found that when it comes to values, we tend to get fixated on the perfect words and then just choose some that others have said to get us going.

I’m not going to give you that out.

A value doesn’t have to be a single word.  It doesn’t have to be profound.  And it doesn’t have to be shared.

But it does have to be yours.

What values did you pick up from your family growing up?

What are you focused on achieving today?

Are those values helping - or is it time to make some edits or additions?

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