Know your values – otherwise you’re working towards someone else’s life plan

Written in Meiringen, Switzerland

There’s a reason that the kings and queens of self-development will always tell you to “know your values”. It might seem boring and easy to skip past. But how can you create your ideal life without really knowing what’s important to you? You can’t.

If you’re not aligned with your values, your money and your accomplishments don’t mean shit in the grand scheme of things.

Get really clear on the values that you want to guide you before you make your next steps forward. It’s so valuable to just focus and get it done.

To map out my own values, I used the exercises from one of Tony Robbin’s self-development bibles, Awaken the Giant Within.

1. Foundation values

I started by looking at my must-have values, or what I call my foundation values. These are the principles that govern everything else for me. Without them in place, I’m in trouble.

If you only do one exercise here, work out your own foundation values.

Ask yourself:

• What is exceptionally important to me?
• What won’t I compromise?
• What do I need in place before anything else can happen?

My own foundation values – what I want at the core of everything I do:

1. Health & vitality
2. Love
3. Security
4. Doing no harm
5. Kindness
6. Freedom
7. Growth & accomplishment

*in order of importance

2. Next-level values

Next, think about what is important to you after you have your foundation values in place. When you’re not running from a lion, when you have food on the table, when you feel loved… what are you going to do with your life?

Here are my own next-level values as one example.

My own next-level values, which I can access when my foundation values are in place:

1. Positively contributing
2. Feeling calm & collected
3. Learning & intelligence
4. Adventure
5. Intimacy
6. Passion
7. Comfort
8. Creativity
9. Power
10. Success
11. Strength (mental & physical)
12. Consistency
13. Pushing myself
14. Poise & grace

*in order of importance

3. “Moving away from” values

I also listed my “moving away from” values, or the feelings that I truly dread experiencing. When I’m making a decision or choosing a new path, I’m careful to not bring these negative feelings into the equation.

My own “moving away from” values:

1. Cruelty & hurting others
2. Poor health & vitality
3. Failure
4. Being judged
5. Isolation

*in order of importance