Sheri here –
Recently, I had a situation that had me confused and befuddled about the choice I needed to make.
The details aren’t important; but what is: how I made a decision, how I chose which direction to go.
My values, my personal operating system, my moral code was key in my making that decision.
Even with those guideposts, that decision, which path to take, took a LOT of soul searching, a lot of prayer and meditation.
Once I made that initial decision, which direction to go, the next steps came more easily. Even those steps weren’t easy, but my heart knew I was moving in the right direction for ME.
What drives you to create your values statement?
You may already have a set of values, but they may not necessarily be easily visible to you. Maybe it is time well spent to formalize them, so they are easily recognizable!
When I first formally documented my values, I was in the middle of a personal life crisis – my world as I knew it was starting to tumble. I was feeling rudderless and needed some direction.
Somewhere I had heard that having a life purpose and values could help in situations such as mine. I got curious. That search was lifesaving then, some 25 years ago, and many times since.
You don’t have to wait until you have a personal crisis to create your value statement. It just takes a decision to spend the time.
How do you create your values statement?
Where do you start?
Start by getting quiet, thoughtful. If you meditate, meditate. Or take a walk or sit quietly in your favorite peaceful place.
Think about what’s important in your life. How you want to live and act.
These are specific things that you may want to consider – Your:
- Spiritual relationship
- Family and Friends
- Passion projects – your service commitments
- Health
- Self-care
- Learning
- Honesty & integrity
- Loyalty
- Fun & play
- Generosity
- Gratitude
- Kindness
- Resiliency
The list goes on and on. Each of us are different. Choose 5 or 7 key things, but no more than 10.
Then rank them!
Why rank them? Sometimes we have conflicts in our focus or how we will spend our time.
Knowing what’s most important will guide you in making choices or where you draw boundaries.
This is a world filled with lots of choices, your values can be your filter to narrow them down.
Keep in mind, this process may take some time. It is time well spent!
Ciao,
Sheri
P.S. Drop a comment below if you are struggling to figure this out and need some support, I can help!
