10 Ways to Align Priorities With Personal Values

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Overview

Aligning values with personal values means making conscious decisions to focus on activities, goals, and tasks that are consistent with what is most important to you. It means living in alignment with your core values, which are principles that guide your behavior, decisions, and goals.

Your personal values are the compass that points you toward your true north. When you align your priorities with your values, you’re ensuring that you’re moving in the direction that’s most meaningful and fulfilling to you.

• If family is a top value, you might prioritize spending quality time with loved ones, attending important events, and making decisions that benefit their well-being.
• If creativity is a core value, you might prioritize activities that allow you to express yourself creatively, such as writing, painting, or designing**.**
• If health is a top value, you might prioritize self-care, exercise, and healthy eating habits.
• If integrity is a core value, you might prioritize being honest, transparent, and authentic in your interactions with others.

When you align your priorities with personal values, you:

• Feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life
• Make decisions that are consistent with your goals and aspirations
• Experience a sense of purpose and direction
• Build stronger relationships with others who share your values
• Increase your self-awareness and confidence

On the contrary, when your priorities are not aligned with your personal values:

• Unfulfilled, restless, or dissatisfied
• Conflicted or uncertain about your decisions
• Like you're living someone else's life or pursuing someone else's goals
• Disconnected from your own needs and desires
• Unhappy, stressed, or anxious

Here is a step-by-step guide to achieving aligning your life and career with personal values:

1. Identify Your Core Values

Know your why. This is where the ‘aha’ moment begins. You need to figure out what you stand for and what you will and won’t tolerate — this is critical in deciding where you invest your time. So take time to reflect on what matters the most to you in life, and write down your top 5-10 core values.

2. Set Goals Aligned with Values

Set effective goals that align with your core values. There are many ways to do this. We have a whole article on setting effective goals. Not only setting effective goals drives a sense of achievement but also help you be better aligned with yourself.

3. Prioritize Tasks Based on Values

After you have a list of value-driven goals, evaluate each one based on how well it aligns with what you want to do or be in life.

4. Use a Values-Based Decision-Making Framework

Create a framework that considers your core values when making a decision. This ensures your choices align with what is most important to you.

5. Schedule Time for Value-Alignment

Set aside dedicated time to focus on activities that align with your core values, ensuring that your choices align with that’s most important to you. Reflect back on your personal satisfaction with the impact of your previous decisions. Seek out improvements and re-iterate on core values when needed.

6. Create a Personal Mission Statement

This will serve as your guiding principle in decision making and goal-setting. It reflects all you your core-value and what you want to do or be in your future.

7. Seek Feedback from Trusted Advisors

Surround yourself with people who know and support your values. Seek feedback from these people to help you improve in your ways and to help you stay on track!

8. Take Note of Negative Emotions

Sometimes it’s hard for us admit what we hate. This is where you need to think about when you felt at unease and not happy with your position. It could be any negative feelings including uncertainty, unhappiness, fear, etc. Evaluate these situations to extract values that do not align with your goals. The goal is to examine the areas of friction

9. Look Towards The Future

Imagine an important point in your future. Use all your senses to bring the scenario as real as possible. Make it vivid and detailed and focus on your emotions. Now reflect on if the actions being taken today move you towards your desired future. If not, look at what needs to change.

10. Celebrate Value-Aligned Wins

Celebrate your successes and accomplishments that align with your core values, reinforcing the important of living in alignment with what matters most.