How can I identify my personal values?

Being sure of your values means you spend more time focussing on what’s important to you. It also helps you to make your priorities clear. So, how can you pinpoint what matters most to you?

Try asking yourself:

What is most important to you?
What inspires you?
When are you at your happiest?
What would you do if you had no limitations?
What do you admire most in others?

The aim isn’t to immediately settle on our three core values, but to instead spend some time thinking about the life we want to live and what’s stopping us from doing so. You could try this as a journaling activity, or perhaps contemplate during a meditation. Take the time to step back and reassess if the life you’re leading is moving you in the direction you don’t want to go.

The next step is to match your thoughts to concrete values, for instance, loyalty, reliability or motivation, and create some actions to align your life with these.

Setting goals

If your current life doesn’t reflect the values you’ve identified, think about how you need to shift, alter or even change your goals to work towards them. Even if you’ve been ‘completing’ a goal, if it doesn’t fulfil one of your values, it might explain why you’ve felt flat once you’ve reached the finish line.

Meaningful habits

What small steps can you take towards a bigger goal? For example, making a note of one thing you’re grateful for in the evening can reinforce gratitude, or a random act of kindness can form part of your value of service to others.

Be open to change

It’s not uncommon for our values to change over time as our circumstances change. We might value the determination that accompanies entrepreneurial spirit in our youth, but then appreciate a healthy work-life balance later in life. Remember to check in with yourself from time to time to see what’s most meaningful to you.

Cultivate a happier you

With this Gold Membership course, expect to be your own agent of change, actively pursuing a happier life.

You’ll be encouraged to discover new or revisit past activities that you find enjoyable. You’ll be asked to live more authentically and set your own life goals rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses.

You’ll learn about how gratitude can raise your spirits. You’ll read how humour and laughter are great mood lifters and how to bring more of this into your life.