Why It’s Important to Define Your Values
- priscillawrites
- Jul 27, 2016
- 2 min read
When I was in my sophomore year of college, I took an introductory business course with about 500 or so other students. There are a few things about that class I’ll always remember: the freezing temperature of the room that was only remedied by the giant, plush chairs we got to sit in (the class was so packed it had to be held in a fancy auditorium), the lively and engaging lectures from our professor (you know those professors that walk the entire room when they talk? That was her), and the unique introspective assignments we had to complete. Among those assignments were writing down your dreams for the next ten years, identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and defining your values.
These were all things I really enjoyed doing back then (remember, I’m the girl who loves pretty much any excuse to take a personality test). And I was recently reminded of them a few weeks ago when I came across some of them while searching through my inbox.
The funny thing is, it’s been more than four years since I wrote them. More than four years since I identified the things that mattered most to me in life - the things I knew I wanted to pursue and make time for. And yet I found that for the most part, they really haven’t changed at all.
That’s the cool thing about defining what you believe in. Your circumstances in life may change. Your plans will definitely change. But your most deeply held values have a unique staying power - the ability to adapt throughout time, remaining as a testament to who you are as a person. And this is why it is so helpful to define them and let them guide you through major life decisions.
In my case, my personal values look a little something like this:
1. Social Responsibility/Helping Others
2. Autonomy
3. Variety
4. Flexibility
5. Creativity
Yeah, I might have a bit of an independent streak…
But the point is, these five values have shown up in my decisions over and over again, without me even having to think about them. They reflect the things that really matter to me in life. And that’s why I know I’ll benefit from considering them whenever I’m about to embark on a new venture or job opportunity. The same holds true for all of us.
With that in mind, here are a few questions you can answer to help you identify your values:
1. When you think of an ideal work day, what comes to mind? What activities are you doing, and which invigorate you the most?
2. What do you love most about your current job? What do you wish you didn’t have to do?
3. Rank the following categories in an order that defines their ideal priority in your life: God & faith, family, friends/social life, career, adventure, calling/purpose.
Then, once you’ve spent a little time thinking about where you think your values may lie, go ahead and take a work values quiz like this one. Share your results with me in the comments, and let me know how your values impact your everyday choices!