Once you have identified your values, the most crucial aspect is assessing those values against your daily routine. Are you able to live by your specified values? Is a value making a difference to you? Do you feel a change is needed?
The next step is to live by them, practice them and bring them into action.
How to live by your values?
Your values act as a guide. You can use your values to navigate around your daily routine. Here are seven ways how you can apply your values in your daily routine:
#1. Be creative and define what each value means to you in your own words
For each of your identified core values, write down what it means to you. How do you intend to follow this in your life? For example: to me, my core value, innovation, means being able to create content in a way that is fresh, simple, and very easy to follow. Innovation may or may not be in the idea, but it should be in how I present that idea, which is reflected in my blog.
#2. Stick them on a board to remind yourself to live a life directed as per your values
This technique helps a lot. I write down my values on sticky notes and hang them around my work desk. It acts as a reminder not to distract myself!
#3. Define your goals
Based on your values, define goals that you can achieve. For example, if “Learning” is one of the core values – you can set a goal to take a course and get a certification. If “Adventure” is your core value, then you can ensure to take at least one adventurous trip in a year.
When values drive goals, there is nothing that can block you from achieving them.
Surbhi Mahnot
#4. Make decisions
One of the most challenging things in life is to make decisions – easy or difficult, no matter what. Decision–making takes up a lot of mental energy. Your values can really be of great help here. How?
- Choices become easier. If something is against your values, you can easily give up on those things.
- You have clarity with your decisions. Why you made that choice, how it is right for you, etc.
#5. Increase self-awareness
Your values bring you closer to yourself. They tell you all about your priorities, preferences, and behavior. Your likes, dislikes, what angers you, what makes you happy, what you expect from life, and all the “why’s” about your behavior are answered by your values. Having a better connection with ourselves increases self-awareness.
#6. Evaluate how your day went at bedtime
Every day I take time to offer prayer and assess how my day went before going to bed. What all events happened, good things, bad things, how did I behave, what better could I have done, etc. All these add clarity on what I can change in my conduct to align with my beliefs. You can practice this too!
#7. Do practice doing at least one task in a day according to your values
If you can already live your day according to your values, it is excellent, but if not, it is a simple step to start. Just one task a day, and you’ll feel that some action is happening. For example, if your value is “Balance,” – you can ensure to not ignore your hobbies, relationships, your well being, etc. to balance your life.
Core Values Review
The truly great embody the spirit, not just the external appearance. They bear fruit—not just blossoms. They do not put on a show of virtue—they practice it.
Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching
It is good idea to review the effect of your values in your life every once in a while. You can do that by asking yourself following questions and assessing the answers:
- How do they make you feel about yourself?
- Are your values consistent with who you are?
- How much is your present behavior in alignment with your identified core values?
- Do you see values that are inconsistent or not according to what others expect of you?
- What effect are these values bringing in your life, well-being, relationships, etc.?
Personal Core Values Template – Discover Your Purpose
Values-based living is all about consistency. You can make mistakes or go to-n-fro with your values when you start living them because things are always different in theory. But the important thing here is to keep trying and adapting to be conscious of your behavior and values.
It takes time and effort to discover core values truly, and yes, it’s a repetitive exercise. Values may or may not change, but their priorities change according to life. That’s why it is essential to keep reviewing your values.
Don’t stress yourself for any disconnect between your values and thoughts. Think deep, be consistent and keep practicing to live by your values.
Live your values, and everything else will fall in place.
Surbhi Mahnot
