Connecting with your core values
Ask yourself honestly: Are you the person you always wanted to be, or the one you thought you’d be?
For most of us, the answer is no. Either we’re in jobs where our true talents are underutilized, or we’ve lost contact with our core values. How can you remedy this situation?
For starters, take stock of what your values really are. Do you value compassion and friendship? Ambition and creativity? Make a list of the ten traits that you most value in other people, and then rate yourself honestly for each trait on a scale of one to ten. Which areas are you lacking in?
Take two or three areas in which you would most like to see an improvement and ask yourself what small step you could take today to manifest this value in your life. For example, if you value friendship, take a minute to call or email a friend and tell why you appreciate their presence in your life. A tiny gesture like this will resonate throughout all your relationships: as you begin to communicate your gratitude to the people around you, you cement those connections and amplify the good feelings you already generate as friends.
If you feel that one of your values is far from being represented in your life, take a moment to write down what that value would look like if it was fully developed. Would it require a major life change, such as finding a new job or a new partner? How could you bring that value into your life in small steps? You can bring a lot of change into your life by making small shifts in perception. If you need to bring spirituality to the forefront, schedule a few minutes every day to pray, meditate or read spiritual books. If you’re particularly squeezed for time, these activities can be done on the bus or subway, or you could listen to an audiobook on a relevant topic in your car. If connecting with creativity is a concern, take that time to doodle in a sketchbook or compose a drabble (a microstory, less than 250 words in length. Snack size writing!). Even five or ten minutes a day is enough to recharge your batteries.
The same technique can be used in every area of your life. The key is to keep the steps small, so you don’t overwhelm yourself. We’ve all done it at some point: thrown ourselves into a new hobby or passion, only to find ourselves mentally drowning in too much of a good thing. Focus on keeping it manageable. If you need more than a half hour to complete your task, it’s too big. With all the responsibilities most people carry these days, you don’t need another appointment clogging your day planner. Break down larger tasks into several steps that can be taken over days or weeks instead of one time-consuming block. Remember, a whole beach can be easily moved a few grains of sand at a time.
All change is incremental. When you take the small opportunities that present themselves, big positive things can happen!
For most of us, the answer is no. Either we’re in jobs where our true talents are underutilized, or we’ve lost contact with our core values. How can you remedy this situation?
For starters, take stock of what your values really are. Do you value compassion and friendship? Ambition and creativity? Make a list of the ten traits that you most value in other people, and then rate yourself honestly for each trait on a scale of one to ten. Which areas are you lacking in?
Take two or three areas in which you would most like to see an improvement and ask yourself what small step you could take today to manifest this value in your life. For example, if you value friendship, take a minute to call or email a friend and tell why you appreciate their presence in your life. A tiny gesture like this will resonate throughout all your relationships: as you begin to communicate your gratitude to the people around you, you cement those connections and amplify the good feelings you already generate as friends.
If you feel that one of your values is far from being represented in your life, take a moment to write down what that value would look like if it was fully developed. Would it require a major life change, such as finding a new job or a new partner? How could you bring that value into your life in small steps? You can bring a lot of change into your life by making small shifts in perception. If you need to bring spirituality to the forefront, schedule a few minutes every day to pray, meditate or read spiritual books. If you’re particularly squeezed for time, these activities can be done on the bus or subway, or you could listen to an audiobook on a relevant topic in your car. If connecting with creativity is a concern, take that time to doodle in a sketchbook or compose a drabble (a microstory, less than 250 words in length. Snack size writing!). Even five or ten minutes a day is enough to recharge your batteries.
The same technique can be used in every area of your life. The key is to keep the steps small, so you don’t overwhelm yourself. We’ve all done it at some point: thrown ourselves into a new hobby or passion, only to find ourselves mentally drowning in too much of a good thing. Focus on keeping it manageable. If you need more than a half hour to complete your task, it’s too big. With all the responsibilities most people carry these days, you don’t need another appointment clogging your day planner. Break down larger tasks into several steps that can be taken over days or weeks instead of one time-consuming block. Remember, a whole beach can be easily moved a few grains of sand at a time.
All change is incremental. When you take the small opportunities that present themselves, big positive things can happen!