How to Identify Your Values and Beliefs

If you’re like many people, you created goals – or “New Year’s Resolutions” – for 2022. You may have started exercising, in order to lose weight or to improve your overall health. Or perhaps you’ve resolved to find a different job, or to earn more money in your existing job. Maybe you want to quit smoking or reduce your alcohol consumption, or to learn a new skill or hobby.

Goalsetting is admirable, and you know I’m a huge proponent of setting and achieving goals.

Interestingly, though, people don’t devote nearly as much time or thought to their values. The challenge with not thinking about goals and values concurrently is that, if they aren’t in sync, you can reach your goals, but still fall short of satisfaction and content.

A former client of mine was the stereotypical “action-oriented super achiever.” Dan had everything in life he could want – a loving wife, two beautiful children, and a great job as a management consultant with a global consulting and technology company. Dan’s career was on an upward trajectory, and he was earning great money.

There was just one problem: Because of the travel demands of his job, he rarely saw his family. And when he was home, all he wanted to do was decompress from his workweek. Dan’s kids didn’t understand why he didn’t want to invest time with them, and his relationship with his wife and kids became strained.

Dan’s predicament is not uncommon, and it’s the result of his goals not being in alignment with his values. Dan loves his wife and children more than anything in the world, and one of his core values is spending time with his family. However, his career demands are in direct conflict with that value.

It’s important to build your life, and your goals, around your values. If your goals and values aren’t in alignment, you can achieve your goals, but still fall short of satisfaction and contentment.

The first step in aligning your goals around your values is to identify your values. What is most important to you in life? What makes you feel fulfilled, content, and happy? What makes you feel valued?

Take out a sheet of paper, and write down every positive adjective that describes the personality and character you aspire to have. After you complete this exercise, review the Values List at the bottom of this post.

Next, read through your list of values. If you could orient your life around just five values, which ones would you choose? Circle those values that you feel are most important. These are your core values. Once you have your core values, organize them in order of importance.

On another piece of paper, write down the 25 most important goals you want to do, be, and have in your life.

Next, compare your core values to your goals. Are they in alignment? If not, then how can you rewrite your goals to better align with your values?

Finally, think about how you can align your life around your values and goals. When you know deep down inside what your values are, and live your life in alignment with those values, you will feel a great sense of purpose and fulfillment. You will be living the life you want to live, and you’ll feel good about the person you’re becoming.