Living a Value Based Life

Recently, I have read many books that emphasize the importance of being directed and driven by values. Most often these books refer to the business world and how organizations should be centered on strong core values that can guide decisions and actions. One thing I enjoy about business books however is that they often offer many great ideas and strategies that we can apply to our own personal lives to make them more rewarding and successful.

For example, just as successful businesses today are based and centered on core values, our personal lives as well can and should be guided by our own personal values. Do we know the personal values that are guiding our lives? Have we taken the time to think about and define our own core values? Below are some very easy steps to help us live value based lives.

First, we need to determine what our values are. Think about it. What four or five values are most important to you? Perhaps these are values that are near to your heart or maybe they are principles you’ve always felt are important but may need to work on? Take some time to first develop your list of core values that you can commit to and that will represent you as a person.

Second, create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Write your values on the left hand side of the page and the days of the week across the top to rate your effort each day. Place this spreadsheet in a place you will see it often to remind you of your core values.

Third, on your spreadsheet, give yourself a rating from 1-10 at the end of each day on how you feel you lived each value. Reflect on the things you did well and the things you may need to improve to live your values better tomorrow.

Fourth, on a weekly or monthly basis, ask yourself if you are happy with your results and analyze what you may need to change moving forward to better live your values. This also is a good time to realign your efforts, reevaluate your values and recommit yourself to living a value based life.

Valued based business helps companies achieve success and reach their potential. By following these four easy steps to living a value based life, you too will begin to be the best you. With a little effort and focus, your values without a doubt will begin to influence your daily actions and change who you are as a person. This will also impact those around you and will help you to become a more effective leader. So are you ready? Are you ready to live a value based life? Doing so will make your life much more rewarding and meaningful—so start living a value based life today!