Do You Know Your Values?
- Cyril Prince
- Jun 9, 2023
- 3 min read
Most people do not know how they take decisions in life. They could weigh the pros and the cons, but even there they do not know what the drivers are. As human beings, we take decisions primarily based on what is important to our subconscious mind. We may not know much about what our subconscious mind actually finds important.
Learning how we make decisions in life is essential. If you are a responsible adult, I would recommend that you make the decision right now to take the effort & the time to get to know your 'values' (and possibly even 'strengths').
What are values?
Here's how excellenceassured.com defines Values in NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming):
"Values are things that are important to us. They are how we decide whether our actions are good or bad, right or wrong. They guide our every decision and therefore our destiny."
Knowing what our values are would help us understand what we stand for, what we are dead against, and the in-betweens. People with stronger core values tend to have a definite purpose in life, and a very high determination to achieve what they set out to achieve.
For instance, when you set out to look for a new job, you might want a higher pay (financial freedom), colleagues of a higher quality (good work relationships), or a role where you do not have to report to anyone on a regular basis (freedom). Maybe everyone wants all of the above mentioned qualities in their respective work. Maybe people also want other qualities like room for creative expression, flexibility in work timings, and/or growth potential.
Irrespective of how many values you have, your subconscious mind always knows what's the most important. It plays out your values in a particular hierarchy. Knowing the structure of the hierarchy can play to your advantage because you will be able to zero-in on what matters the most. With enough guidance and training you will also be able to restructure the hierarchy and re-program your subconscious mind, prioritising the values that must have the highest importance according to your thought process.
Not knowing your values also could lead to you being constantly told what to do, by other people. And that might lead for you to feel like a puppet on a string. That might be great if you’re starting out in a field/subject you do not know anything about, but over a period of time, you might not be able to navigate your life the way you want, which would often lead to an unexplored and unfulfilled life.
Understanding your values is just the first step. It needs to be followed up with using them in your life in routine decision-making, whether it be to decide which restaurant to eat from, or what you would like to wear to a party. And then you move on to understand how to use your values to make larger & more complex decisions in life. Understanding our values can help us navigate our lives in the direction we want. It is a compass, in a way. A great starting place would be to take a 'values test' to find out what your values are.
Here are a few websites where you could find out your core values:
After you find out your core values and read through the report, find ways in which you can apply them in your personal and professional life. Be conscious of your values playing up during moments where you make decisions.
And finally, explore how you can use your values to create your best life.
To know more about values, get in touch with us.
