Why Values Matter: Maximizing Your Return on Values

In today’s society, the word “values” is often thrown around, but few people truly understand and prioritize them in their daily lives. However, it’s important to recognize that values aren’t something that can be turned off or left at home; they follow us wherever we go and shape our behavior at every turn. Therefore, it’s important to identify and prioritize our values to enhance our well-being and live our best lives.

Maximizing the Return on Your Values

To get the most out of your values every day, it’s essential to focus on your strengths and connect them to your values. One simple exercise involves choosing seven values from a list of 46 options that resonate with you the most, then writing a simple action plan that is connected to that value and one of your strengths. For example, if humility and modesty are important values to you, you may choose to focus on giving credit where credit is due to someone else and consciously shaping your demeanor accordingly. Then, assign each value-strength action to a specific day of the week, and keep track of your progress with simple hash marks next to each VSA (value-strength action) for that day. By doing so, you can calculate your ROV (Return on Values) for the week and enjoy a sense of accomplishment from each VSA hash mark.

Why Values Are Important

Values are inherently good by nature and can bring a myriad of benefits to our lives. They provide a sense of purpose, direction, and fulfillment, as they define what is important to us and what we stand for. Being in alignment with our values can help us manage stress, make better decisions, and interact with others in a more authentic and positive way.

Moreover, identifying and prioritizing our values can help us stay focused on what truly matters to us and avoid being distracted by external factors. This is especially important since modern technology and social media can often pull us in different directions, making it challenging to stay centered and connected to our inner selves.

Collecting Positive, Affirming Values

As we prioritize our values in our daily lives, it’s essential to embrace positive, affirming values that support our well-being and overall happiness. Some examples of positive values include integrity, courage, empathy, kindness, optimism, and humor. By adding these values to our list of priorities, we can enhance our relationship with ourselves and others and create a more positive and fulfilling life experience.

In Conclusion

Values are essential to our daily lives, as they shape our behavior and guide us towards living our best lives. By maximizing our return on values and prioritizing positive and affirming values, we can enhance our well-being, purpose, and fulfillment. Remember, we can’t turn off our values, so it’s important to acknowledge and embrace them to live a more authentic, meaningful, and satisfying life experience.