Part 2 of Permit Yourself to Dream, and Become Empowered series.
In part one of this three-part series, I talked to you about writing out your ideal life scenario. Thank you to those who contacted me to discuss and elaborate on this exercise. Congratulations for your courage to reach out! We had some fantastic conversations.
The ideal life writing exercise helped to begin to reveal your dreams and goals. Now, to help make sure those are both realistic and true to who you really are, we need to take the next step, and that’s clearly defining your values.
Here’s why.
Sometimes we get where we hoped we would be only to discover it’s not a good fit. I’ve certainly done this in the past in both my personal and professional life. So, one way to avoid this is to make sure we’re clear about our values.
What are values and why are they important?
![\"\"](\"https://www.reinventing-u.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Artboard-17-1024x1024.jpg\")
The graphic to the left gives you a plain-language idea of the definition of personal values.
Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work. They (should) determine your priorities, and, deep down, they\’re probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to.
You need core values to know how to respond in tough situations. You need values to forge lasting relationships with those around you.
Your values inform your thoughts, words, and actions. They help you grow in the direction that is right for the authentic you. They are critical to creating the future you want to experience; the future that is right for you. For example, if you are an environmentalist, you may not want to be involved in an industry known to harm the environment. Instead, your values as a conscious fighter of global warming may lead you to an industry that does just that or at least is an ardent supporter of our planet’s health.
Importantly, values unclutter your life.
Getting crystal clear on your values
To help you get crystal clear on all your values, I’m providing you with a free ‘Crystal Clear Values” worksheet to download. I suggest you print it out and follow the three easy-to-understand steps.
Important questions for you are included in this worksheet, along with a list of values that you can consider. Feel free to add more of your own core values if you don’t see them on the list.
You’ll begin by highlighting and determining your top five core values for both your personal and professional life.
Once you’ve identified your five most central, no-compromise-on values, then I challenge you to write your own definition for each of them as it relates to your personal and your work life. Not the dictionary’s definition. Not your mother’s definition. Not society’s definition. But, instead, how YOU define that value for yourself. Note, that if you have the same core value(s) in both your personal and professional life, you may define each differently regarding when and how it can be applied to those two distinct areas. Give that some intense thought.
Following this, it’s time to step back and ask yourself, “Are these values currently applied in my personal life?” and “Are these values currently found in my professional life?” I believe your answers will naturally lead you to your own questions such as, perhaps, “How and where are they applied?” and “What do I need to do or change to apply them?”
With each one of these techniques, you’re getting one step closer to living the life that will give you great happiness and satisfaction. And that’s exactly what I wish for everyone! I welcome you to give me a call for a FREE first discussion and to share with me your results from this series so far. We can have a fascinating conversation! Book a time in my calendar at www.daniellesilvermanconsult.com.
Much love,
P.S. Watch for Part Three of this series on empowering yourself by defining your dreams: “Turning your dream and values into your reality.”