Living your values

‘Live your values.’ You hear it all the time, yet what nobody explains is how to understand what yours are in the first place. So it always feels like an abstract concept that other people get and use to their advantage.

If you struggle to name what you stand for, then try this.

Think of a moment at work or in your personal life when you felt genuinely proud - what were you doing, why did it matter to you, what behaviour did you lean on the most? 

Then think about something you're happy to put up with, and something you're not. Your values live in both - the things you care about, and the line you won't cross.

Write down five. No more. For example:

1. Family as priority

2. The courage to show up

3. Standing up for what I believe in

4. Not compromising my productive time

5. Being a good teammate

Of course naming them is the easy part. Sticking to them when it’s easier not to is when you truly find out whether they are things you truly value.