Work Out What’s Important In Your Life
Do you know what’s important in your life? Easy for me to say, but tricky sometimes to work out. What’s important to you will change over the course of your life. But your core values are probably going to stay the same. Knowing what they are will help you make better decisions at various points in your life, and especially in career choices.
To help you make better career decisions, take some time out to consider what is really important in your life- success, money, family, friends, relationships, or status, to name a few.
A Values Exercise
If you start with a blank slate we will often all come up with a similar list of things we think ought to be important to us. You can find loads of lists by googling ‘values’ on the internet. Most people say things like honesty and integrity, family etc.
But actually when I’m coaching, and previously in therapeutic work, I’m not entirely convinced that this type of list helps you get to the truth of your value systems. For example, often family is not as important as people think to their lives. But they think it should be so they put it down.
So try this. Conventional advice is to think about a time when you were really happy and content and what made it so. You can, of course, do that.
But I want you to turn that on its head.
Think about a time at work when you were really cheesed off, and really unhappy. I’ve been unhappy in jobs which paid lots of money and which made me realise that money is not a great motivator for me. Others can live with a naff job for years because it’s well paid but leans into another value they may have, like being able to own their own home as soon as possible. That may represent security for them. I still want to/need to earn money but it isn’t as high on my list as other things.
Looking at what doesn’t work for you may help you identify more accurately what does.
Make A List Of Your Values
When you have a clear sense of what really matters to you it helps you put work issues into perspective and allocate tasks the importance they deserve in YOUR life. Make your list out in order of priority. And remember, don’t compare with others. Your priorities will not be the same as everyone else. If it’s important to you to progress in your career, then act accordingly. If it’s not, invest your time and energies into what is important for you. Make a plan.
RenewYou, My Tried and Tested Career Booster!
RenewYou has helped thousands of women make positive and lasting change in their lives. I deliver it one-to-one as part of a bespoke coaching package for women looking to move into leadership, to progress their career, or who wish to be the absolute best version of themselves.
Posted on April 15th, 2025 by Jane
