Values: The Single Most Powerful Self-Development Step You Can Take

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Page 1 of 2 +44 (0) 7976 751 095 [email protected] http://danbeverly.com Values: The Single Most Powerful Self- Development Step You Can Take 15 March 2016 Our values drive us throughout our entire day and underpin all our major decisions. But do we really know what our core values are? And what would we change if we did? That which is most important to us Our Values are those things most important to us. Our values drive us from the moment we rise in the morning until the moment we retire in the evening. They underpin all our major decisions - and most of the minor ones. And whether you like them or not, your values are your values. You can't choose them and you can't change them. You are you. Discovering, understanding and embracing our core values is the single most powerful self-development step we can take. We might not immediately think that. Or we might say that sounds an overstatement. Because we talk about our values like it's obvious what they are and why we hold them. But I can tell you: people go their whole lives without knowing what their core values are. "Oh yes, I most value honesty, integrity and trustworthiness," we might say. And perhaps those are your top 3 core values. And if so, I respect that: they're great values. But are they really your top 3 core values - or is this (or something like it) just your stock response to the values question? If I take myself as an example: I consider myself to be an honesty and trustworthy person; and I like to think I act with integrity. But I don't mind sharing with you that honesty, integrity and trustworthiness are nowhere near my list of core values. My #1 value is Harmony. And my top 6 values also include Honour. When I act with honesty, integrity and trustworthiness, for me, it's an expression of those core (again for me, higher) values. And it's been far more useful to me to know that harmony and honour are my deepest core values, than pretend or misunderstand honesty, integrity and trustworthiness to be what's truly driving my thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Transcript of Values: The Single Most Powerful Self-Development Step You Can Take

Page 1: Values: The Single Most Powerful Self-Development Step You Can Take

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+44 (0) 7976 751 095 [email protected] http://danbeverly.com

Values: The Single Most Powerful Self-Development Step You Can Take

15 March 2016

Our values drive us throughout our entire day and underpin all our major decisions. But do we

really know what our core values are? And what would we change if we did?

That which is most important to us

Our Values are those things most important to us.

Our values drive us from the moment we rise in the

morning until the moment we retire in the evening. They

underpin all our major decisions - and most of the minor

ones. And whether you like them or not, your values are

your values. You can't choose them and you can't change

them. You are you.

Discovering, understanding and embracing our core

values is the single most powerful self-development step

we can take.

We might not immediately think that. Or we might say

that sounds an overstatement. Because we talk about our

values like it's obvious what they are and why we hold

them. But I can tell you: people go their whole lives

without knowing what their core values are.

"Oh yes, I most value honesty, integrity and

trustworthiness," we might say. And perhaps those are

your top 3 core values. And if so, I respect that: they're

great values. But are they really your top 3 core values -

or is this (or something like it) just your stock response to

the values question?

If I take myself as an example: I consider myself to be an

honesty and trustworthy person; and I like to think I act

with integrity. But I don't mind sharing with you that

honesty, integrity and trustworthiness are nowhere near

my list of core values.

My #1 value is Harmony. And my top 6 values also

include Honour. When I act with honesty, integrity and

trustworthiness, for me, it's an expression of those core

(again for me, higher) values.

And it's been far more useful to me to know that harmony

and honour are my deepest core values, than pretend or

misunderstand honesty, integrity and trustworthiness to be

what's truly driving my thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

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+44 (0) 7976 751 095 [email protected] http://danbeverly.com

One simple question to discover your core values

One simple question to discover the core value beneath a

goal or behaviour is to ask: "what will that get for me?"

And then to keep asking it: to drill-down to your core,

underlying value.

For example: you might ask yourself what's most

important about a goal to find a new job. And your first

answer might be "financial security". And when I have

financial security, what will that get for me? Peace of

mind. And when I have peace of mind, what will that

get for me? Freedom. And when I have freedom, what

will that get for me? Happiness.

And so on, until you start circling back round to the same

value or values. Or when you start to use identity-level

statements starting "I", for example: "I grow", "I learn", "I

adapt".

A final tip: be sure not to over-think this process. Else we

tend to start evaluating our values; or choosing the values

we think we should have.

Your Values Assessment Workbook (free download)

Once we know our values, we can look afresh at the

things that we do; at our goals and our aspirations; at the

things that we want. And from there, look at where our

values are being most expressed, where our values are in

conflict, and where our values could be expressed more.

To help you discover, understand and embrace your core

values, download my free Values Assessment Workbook.

And take that single most powerful self-development step.

VALUES WORKBOOK

http://danbeverly.com/values-assessment.pdf/

Dan Beverly is a leadership and performance coach helping high-calibre, high-

performing professional women embrace the pivotal career moments.

His mission is to inspire possibility in others: to help us excel in careers without

compromise; and to leave us feeling energised and uplifted by a new future.

Go online to book your complimentary “Session Zero” with Dan – and start

capitalising on your pivotal career moments today.

http://danbeverly.com/session-zero