The things that matter
Get more time for the things that really matter
My business tag line is ‘get more time for the things that really matter’.
However, what if you don’t know what really matters most?
How to figure out what’s important to you…
I have a few tools that I use with my clients to help determine what it is that’s important to them. One of the most impactful personal development activities at the start of my journey was getting clear on my core values. I’ve also loved working on my future vision. Getting clarity on your values and vision can be really helpful in figuring out what matters to you.
I think what matters most can be seasonal, so it’s good to revisit these exercises from time to time.
Your Core Values
Values are basically like guiding principles, and a typical life coaching exercise is to look at a list of values, and then determine from the list which values resonate most. (I shared some example lists to work from in an earlier post).
I’ve previously written about personal values, here, where I shared some questions that you can mull over to get your creative juices flowing on this topic. For instance, what traits do you value in others and why?
However, the scientist in me likes to look for the evidence. Grab your detective hat…
Here are three ways you can use to determine your core values:
Firstly, if you have a smart phone, take a look through your Photos app. What are you predominately taking photographs of? My photos are mainly of the art I have created, my children and lots of pictures of nature. Knowing my values include family, nature and creativity - these themes from my photos won't come as a surprise.
Secondly, take a look at your bank balance. I have regular direct debits for charities that are close to my heart. As a business I am registered with Ecologi, and I plant a tree with every website purchase and newsletter subscriber; so there is a monthly DD for this also (If you want to sign up for my newsletter and have a tree planted, you can do so here). I make a conscious effort to purchase from certified BCorps. I regularly purchase books from World of Books (a BCorp), and love learning. I shop from an online refill shop (Dizzie), so this also appears regularly in my expenditure.
Lastly - if you keep a calendar, have a look at how you are spending your time. If you have lots of activities scheduled with family, this might be one of your values. If you’re regularly at the gym, it might be that Health is a value.
Do the values you've picked from the list, align with what you see in the evidence?
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of what your core values are, and if you are living in alignment with them or not (have a look at the evidence). This will help you get a handle on what matters most in this season of your life.