Core Values

What do you value? In other words, what's most important in your life? If we can't answer this question, then we are just running around like a headless chicken jumping from one thing to the next, or worse, just accepting everything that is thrown at us for our attention and resources. It is highly suggested to spend a little time on this. It will help shape our day, week, month, year, life.... Because we live in a world with constant bombardment (from largely useless tat) for our attention, and money. Also, we may have lots of interests and we only have so much time. So doing some work on defining our core values will help us narrow down to our most valued and important interests, so we can focus and commit.

There are numerous resources online with lists of words to help us choose. Looking at any or all of the following are highly recommended. James Clear, Brené Brown, Scott Jeffrey. Cal Newport also does a weekly assessment of his performance against his core values. He is also an advocate of doing less, doing better, and knowing why you are doing something. Which if we hone in on our values we will be able to answer all those statements.

Picking Core Values

Use their lists and narrow it down. James Clear suggests less than five. Brené Brown says to pick two. I do like the focus of two core values. Anymore and you start to stretch yourself thin. (You could do a hybrid and have five with three on the back burner. Maybe something like outer guideposts from the main mission of the two core values).

We really can't work on or commit and focus on more than one or two things. At a time. It's really difficult to learn more than one new thing at a time. I'm talking new. Little to no previous experience. And the older we get the more responsibly we have, the less time we have for things, and the more difficult it is to break habitual patterns and create new ones (after 35 years old most of what we do is neurologically programmed and very difficult to change, as mentioned by Dr. Joe Dispenza in Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. With our limited time, we can only do so much and go so deep in truly learning something new.

Picking (two) core values will help us live more intentionally. And bring deeper meaning, greater productivity, and competency. It will increase self-esteem, self-confidence, and purpose. Instead of being a dilettante 'dabbler' in many things, be a competent and purposefully productive person. The world will thank you for it. And so will your spirit. Clear, focused, commitment brings infinitely more satisfaction and fulfillment than scattered interests that don't really amount to anything. It also brings strength of character.

This also doesn't mean you can't have free time or free days to explore, be curious. Life is about playing. But to build a meaningful life we need to channel our energies into purposeful works of service. Guiding principles will help with this. Find the fun in everything you do. And always stay curious.

So who do you wish to be? What do you want in your life? What's most important? What do you value? Close your eyes and visualize it. Then, pick two values that encompass that life. Don't forget that with 'freedom' comes great responsibly. And without love nothing exists. And don't forget less is more.