Do you know what your values are?

No, I’m not talking about moral values — though morality and ethics are a part of what I mean.  Instead, I’m talking about those things that you hold as supremely important in your life.  They are what motivate us and help us find meaning.

Values are generally intangible concepts or ideas that you aspire to, such as justice, kindness, community, friendship, prosperity, strength, nature, and so on.  Your values are incredibly influential in terms of how shaping the way you experience the world, though for many people they go unnamed and unexplored.  Learning to identify your values is empowering and can help you make decisions that serve you best.

Here are some tips to help you identify your values…

  1. As yourself, “What is important to me?” The trick is that you have to ask this question more than once to get below the aspiration or surface values. Asking the question at least ten times will allow you to come up with deeper values that drive you.
  2. Another way to approach the question is to simply examine your life.  Where do you spend your time, effort, money, and energy?  If you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?  Why?
  3. Write down the answers you come up with.
  4. Rank the list of values you’ve created in order of importance. As you do, you’ll begin to gain insights into what really matters to you.  This list is a resource that you can go back to if you find yourself feeling frustrated or dissatisfied with life circumstances; often, these feelings signal to us that we’re acting out of alignment with our core values.
  5. Understand that values will evolve and new ones will emerge as time goes on.  Return to this exercise every 2-3 years so that you’re aware of what is deeply important to you and why, empowering you to make better decisions for your life.

What are your top three values?

For more information on how learning NLP can dramatically improve your life, professional pursuits, and relationships, read our groundbreaking FREE ebook, “Resourceful Living: How NLP Can Improve Your Seven Life Streams”

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Roger Terry

Director of Training and Coaching at Evolution Training Ltd
Roger Terry is one of the world’s leading experts on applying NLP to drive excellence both professionally and personally. Roger leads seminars and consults with companies all over the world, including in the UK, USA, Europe and Middle East. He is the author of several books, including The Hidden Art of Interviewing, NLP and Qualitative Research, NLP for Teachers and The NLP Toolkit.