The Personal Development Checklist is a great way of gaining some valuable insight about your life and the way you want to live it.
What are Values?
Understanding Your Life Values - One of the Most Profound Things You Will Ever Do
Many of my clients opt to use their first two sessions to discover and understand their life values.
Clients often tell me that the progress and change they've achieved over the course of their coaching relationship had its foundations in those two early values sessions. What you learn about yourself in these sessions can help place so much else in context. It can explain our lack of ease and comfort in certain situations, and it can help us understand the kinds of activities and goals that provide our life with a daily sense of meaning and satisfaction.
'Andy helped me understand my values – and ensure that what I do in my life fits with what’s important to me in my life. ' DB - Channel Islands
Now here's something really weird about we humans. Although every one of us has a truly unique set of life values, and although living in alignment with our values is the keystone upon which our true happiness and wellbeing is built, most of us have only the fuzziest idea of what our life values are. That's if we have any idea at all!
At least that explains how we can end up with our life feeling so out of kilter. And why even when we do have fulfilment and wellbeing in our lives we can so easily lose it.
Now here's something really weird about we humans. Although every one of us has a truly unique set of life values, and although living in alignment with our values is the keystone upon which our true happiness and wellbeing is built, most of us have only the fuzziest idea of what our life values are. That's if we have any idea at all!
At least that explains how we can end up with our life feeling so out of kilter. And why even when we do have fulfilment and wellbeing in our lives we can so easily lose it.
'...I find myself possessed of a clarity of thought I had all but forgotten existed.' Laura Bellingham, Sheffield
But as we make our life decisions, and especially as we have decisions thrust upon us, we can often drift away from our life values. When that has happened, it can seem that our whole life has been specially designed to rub us up the wrong way. Then, in the place of joy and lightness, we get cranky, irritable and heavy. In the place of enthusiasm and drive we get boredom and dread. We may have less patience with the ones we love, or a nagging and unexplained feeling of stress and anxiousness.
When you are out of alignment with your values, life's just not much fun.
What are life values?
Well, put simply they are what matters most to us, or the things that are most important to us. Were not talking about religious beliefs or principles here, although they are often connected, but the practical and spiritual elements of life that really speak to us.
- You value integrity but your work environment does not
- You value creativity but have grown so busy that it's years since you expressed it
- You value independence but aren't allowed to do anything on your own
- You value control but no longer know what's going on in big parts of your life
- You value recognition but never get a thank you, never get an acknowledgement of what you've achieved
- You value nature but are surrounded by concrete, tarmac, metal
How do we end up like this?
Well, life happens - and we have to make tough decisions that seem right at the time. Too often though, those decisions are based on faulty information. We see what others are doing and think we should do the same. We listen to honest advice that is based on other people's values, not our own. Sometimes we simply forget that we have a choice. Or we simply ignore our inner voice.
It's the inner voice that is the key. When I work with clients to discover their true life values I'm helping them listen to themselves, helping them achieve a fuller understanding of the ingredients they need to make a fulfilling life.
That's a powerful place to be - a true enabler for setting compelling life and career goals, recognising your options and choosing your next life path.
It's the inner voice that is the key. When I work with clients to discover their true life values I'm helping them listen to themselves, helping them achieve a fuller understanding of the ingredients they need to make a fulfilling life.
That's a powerful place to be - a true enabler for setting compelling life and career goals, recognising your options and choosing your next life path.
'The turning point for me was when we focussed on my values
.' FW, Sheffield
When your life feels right you can bet you are living in alignment with your values.
Click here to find out more through a free trial coaching session
For information about values work on its own, as two free standing coaching sessions, please complete and submit the form below