If you’ve ever read a self-help book, then you may of heard of personal values. But what are personal values and why are they so important? What’s more, how do you identify these core values and use this knowledge to change your life?
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Why Is Identifying Personal Values So Important?
There’s a simple reason why identifying personal values is so important. Basically, our values determine the choices we make. They greatly influence the decision making process and help us make better decisions. For example, if you’re greatest personal value is honesty, then you’ll make honesty a priority in every interaction.
Personal values will also affect other decisions such as what type of career your chose or who you marry, or spend time with. In addition to this, your values will also determine what types of goals you pursue. Ultimately, the reason why personal values are important is because they allow us to navigate life in a better way. If you’d like to get started on identifying personal values, then here’s how to do it.
Make A List Of Values
Some examples of this could include:
- Ambition
- Creativity
- Excellence
- Fairness
- Growth
- Happiness
- Health
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Choose Your Top Values
Your list should include as many values as you can think of. Once this is done, select the values which resonate with you the most. These values should cover the way you most accurately feel or behave. For instance, you may choose things like success, wealth, resilience, or self-control.
Think Of People You Admire
Some people may have trouble doing this. If that’s the case, then think of people who you like and admire. This may be your friends, or family members. It could be famous people or even historical figures.
Think About Your Experiences
Another way to select your values, it to think about the high points of your life. What really gets your juices flowing. Perhaps it was the time you motivated someone? Also think about the low points. What have painful experiences taught you?
Group Your Values
Many values, such as discipline and self-control, are similar. You want to go throw your list of values and the ones which relate to each other. Next, put these values into categories, and the select which one is most important to you. You can also identify the central theme of these values, and then select a word which describes the group.
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Choose Your Top Values
Now you have a list of values. Out of these choose your core values. You want to winnow this list down to about 3-5, any more can lead to confusion. You can now use these values to bring greater clarity to your life. For example, they can help to guide your behavior, allow you to make better decisions, and also help you determine what you want out of life. Another great benefit is that they also increase confidence, by creating a sense of safety and stability.
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