How Are You Living Your Values?

It is Friday evening and you are looking forward to your long  overdue vacation. You are working on the final touches of your proposal to get a new line of business approved. The proposal is almost ready barring some details on some legal challenges that you are  awaiting from your legal department. You receive the legal opinion and when you read it, you realize that a key element is missing. Not considering this aspect might hurt the franchise of the business in the future. The only person aware about this is you and none else.
What would you do?
Would you rather let it go because you’ll never be found out or blamed or would you listen to your inner voice which tells you how important it is to highlight this specific legal risk.
What is this inner voice that whispers to you at various moments in your day and life. A whisper to the effect “There is no way you can do that. it’s not right”.

Each of us have core values whether we realize it or not. Core values is what is imbibed in us from the day we are born. Some values we instill in us as we are growing. Values sit within our memory and are deep-rooted. They are not written anywhere but are those which we live through our behavior and actions.

Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave ‘em all over everything you do. ~Elvis Presley

You are your personal brand. Personal brand is not just about you being a CEO or CFO or Fashion designer but it is what you are in what you do and how you choose to show your values in your career and the various roles you perform.

Key questions on Values

1. What are your top five values?

Of course you may have more than five values but top values are those that are your core. Those values with what you stick to when you are most vulnerable and life tests you.

2. What behaviors and actions of yours demonstrate your values ?

In the various workshops that I conduct as well in some of the coaching sessions, most people are able to elicit their values but they struggle with how their behavior or actions reflect the same. This helps you to determine how you are becoming what you want to be.

3. What is your vision, your personal brand and how does your values relate to them?

Your values help you make decisions. They represent you in whatever you are and what you do.

4. For those who know you, and looked at your life, would they be able to identify your values?

Be it making a presentation or choosing a new career or role, living to your core values is one of the ways you empower yourself to achieve your goals.

5. What makes you proud of who you are?

Do you use your values in decision-making and in the various choices in life. Do you walk away from things that don’t serve you or make you feel content?

Values create meaning in your life and your sense of being.

Have you thought about your values?
How are you discovering who you are?