Words to Live By: Define Your Best Life with Core Values
Welcome, my friends, to the next step in your transformative journey of self-discovery and purposeful living. Today, we're diving deep into the realm of Core Values – those guiding principles that shape your decisions, actions and reflect the very essence of your beliefs, what you stand for and who you are. Whether you're an individual looking to enhance your personal life and relationships, or an entrepreneur aiming to level up and serve more inside and outside your business, this guide is your roadmap to defining and living by Your Core Values. So, buckle up because we're about to embark on a journey that'll change your life's direction!
Shining a light: What Are Core Values?
At its core (pun intended), your values are the heartbeat of your existence. They're the non-negotiable principles that define who you are and what you stand for. Identifying them is like turning on a light in the dark – suddenly, everything becomes clear.
Take Mental Action:
1. Remember five experiences that have deeply impacted you.
2. Identify common themes or principles that resonate across these experiences.
3. Reflect on a challenging experience and note what principles helped you overcome it.
Beyond the Individual: Applying Core Values in Business
Entrepreneurs, listen up! Your personal life will totally transform when you live your best values. And your business will also thrive when rooted firmly and deeply in core values. They're the secret sauce that attracts the right clients, partners and personnel, nurtures a positive company culture, and guides strategic planning, decisions and growth.
Take Mental & Physical Action:
1. Identify values that align with your best life and business purpose. How will you serve all with pride?
2. Integrate these values into the heart and soul of your business, its internal company culture and its actions with customers and community.
3. Regularly assess your business plans, goals and decisions against your Core Values.
The Treasure Hunt Within: Discovering Your Core Values
Now that you have a taste of this Value Equation, and why they're an essential ingredient to your best life and business, let's dig deeper to find the core of why they mean so much to you. Recall those sweet and spicy moments that made your heart race or your soul sing. These magical experiences often hold the secret key to unlocking your True Core Values.
Take Mental & Physical Action:
1. Consider some magical moments when you felt truly, deeply fulfilled – what values were at play?
2. Focus on the positive beliefs and behaviors that have served you while serving others too.
3. Now, let's take a deep dive to uncover and embrace Your Core Values by following the guide below.
CORE VALUES GUIDE
STEP 1: Choose 12 Values that represent The Best You.
Choose from this little short list of 246 below, or add any other inspired Value that guides your best actions and decisions every day. 12 may feel like too many, but you will select 3 to 6 Core Values by the end of this exercise.Accept Risks
Acceptance
Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Action
Adaptability
Adventure
Agreement
Altruism
Ambition
Assertiveness
Attention
Authenticity
Authority
Autonomy
Awareness
Balance
Be-The-Best
Beauty
Belonging
Bliss
Boldness
Bravery
Calmness
Candor
Caring
Challenge
Cheerfulness
Citizenship
Clarity
Collaboration
Commitment
Common Sense
Communication
Community
Compassion
Competency
Competition
Confidence
Confidentiality
Conservation
Consistency
Consistent
Contentment
Continuous Improvement
Contribution
Control
Cooperation
Courage
Courtesy
Creativity
Curiosity
Customer Satisfaction
Data-Driven
Decisiveness
Dedication
Democracy
Dependability
Determination
Dignity
Diligence
Discipline
Discretion
Diversity
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Elegance
Empathy
Energy
Engagement
Enjoyment
Enthusiasm
Environment
Equality
Equanimity
Equity
Ethic
Excellence
Excitement
Expertise
Exploration
Fairness
Faith
Fame
Family
Fidelity
Fitness
Flexibility
Flow
Fluency
Focus
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship
Fun
Generosity
Grace
Growth
Happiness
Hard Work
Harmony
Have Fun
Health
Helping
Holiness
Honesty
Honor
Humility
Humor
Impact
Impartiality
Improvement
Independence
Influence
Ingenuity
Initiative
Innovation
Inquisitiveness
Insight
Integrity
Intelligence
Intention
Intuition
Involvement
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learn
Learning
Legacy
Listen
Long-Term-Vision
Love
Loyalty
Make-The-Difference
Mastery
Meaning
Meaningful work
Money
Natural Environment
Non-Attachment
Non-Judgement
Obedience
Openness
Opportunity
Optimism
Order
Organization
Originality
Ownership
Participation
Partnership
Passion
Patience
Peace
Perfection
Persistence
Personal-Development
Pleasure
Poise
Popularity
Positivity
Power
Practicality
Preparedness
Prestige
Prevention
Productivity
Professionalism
Profit
Progress
Protection
Prudence
Purpose
Quality
Recognition
Relationships
Reliability
Religion
Reputation
Resilience
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility
Restraint
Results
Sacrifice
Safety
Satisfaction
Security
Self-Actualization
Self-Control
Self-Discipline
Self-Improvement
Selflessness
Self-Motivation
Self-Reliance
Sensitivity
Serenity
Service
Short-Term-Vision
Simplicity
Socialization
Soundness
Speed
Spirituality
Spontaneity
Stability
Status
Strategic
Strength
Structure
Success
Support
Sustainability
Teamwork
Temperance
Tenacity
Thoroughness
Thoughtfulness
Time-Management
Timeliness
Tolerance
Tradition
Transparency
Trustworthiness
Truth
Understanding
Uniqueness
Unity
Vanity
Variety
Vigor
Vision
Vitality
Wealth
Wellness
Willpower
Win
Wisdom
Work-Ethic
Work-Life-Balance
Zeal
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My Core Values Guide
CLICK below to define your Core Values.
You can write your answers on paper if you choose, but if you fill this out, you will receive Your Core Values by email at the end.
START
First up, what should we call you?
OK
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My Non-Negotiable Values
STEP 3: Select 3 to 6 Non-Negotiable Values from your list.
If you choose 6, consider making 3 focused on you and 3 focused outward or on how you serve and treat others.
List them below. Prioritize from Top to Bottom.
Continue
Evidence of how I live these values
STEP 4: Describe how you demonstrate each Value daily.
Write the Value and describe your evidence.
Continue
Show how I don't live these values
We are all human and make mistakes.
STEP 5: Describe how you didn't follow your Core Values.
Write the Value and describe your evidence.
Continue
Seven Trials By Fire
STEP 6: Reflect on each of your Non-Negotiable Values as you take the Trial By Fire Test.
Consider each Value individually and answer YES or NO.
If any Value is a "NO", it's not a Non-Negotiable Core Value, and maybe you should change that Value.
OR
Maybe it is YOU that needs to change...
QUESTION 1: Will you maintain this Value every day of your life, no matter what happens to your world (loss of job, business, relationship, disasters or political changes)?
Continue
Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 2: Do you believe that people who do not share this Value, constantly challenge it, or change it for convenience, do not belong around you?
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Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 3: Will you maintain this value even if, at certain times, it becomes a disadvantage to you? Even if at some point you are personally penalized for living up to this value?
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Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 4: If you decide to start a new business, will you build it on the same Core Value, regardless of your customer, product or industry?
Continue
Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 5: Will you give up on your plans, goals, or desires to maintain this value?
Continue
Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 6: Will you personally maintain this Value even if you are not recognized for it?
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Seven Trials By Fire
QUESTION 7: If you wake up tomorrow with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, will you continue to apply this value in all areas of your life?
Continue
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Congratulations on this Valuable Step!
So, did your Core Values withstand the Trial By Fire?
Did your Values change? Are you changing?
Please continue reading below, then take the next bold step on your personal journey!
So, did your Core Values withstand the Trial By Fire?
Did your Values change? Are you changing?
Please continue reading below, then take the next bold step on your personal journey!
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Crafting Your Manifesto: Putting Core Values into Compelling Words
Now that you've completed the guided exercise, discovered and embraced Your Core Values, it's time to own and articulate them with even more personal clarity. Creating a values statement isn't just another bureaucratic exercise; it's Your Personal Manifesto. It's a declaration of the principles that will drive your new personality; your thoughts, words, decisions and actions.
Take Mental & Physical Action:
1. Write a concise active statement for each Core Value, expressing why it matters to you.
2. Combine these statements into a powerful, cohesive Values Manifesto.
3. Use this Values Manifesto as your personal Mantra, and in your business Purpose, Vision and Mission Statements.
Walking the Talk: Living Your Values Daily
Identifying and articulating values is just the beginning; the real magic happens within and without, when you integrate them into your daily decisions and actions. Memorize your Values Manifesto Mantra and let it guide your walk, your talk and your thought.
Take Mental & Physical Action Daily:
1. Prioritize your Values when faced with every decision – big or small. It takes time for your old personality (and those around you) to embrace the New Better You.
2. We Think, Do, Say, and Decide countless conscious and sub-conscious things daily. Make a new regular ritual to remind yourself of Your Core Values.
3. Celebrate every moment you live authentically according to Your Values. You deserve it! And, celebrate those around you that embrace this New You. They deserve it too!
Navigating Challenges: Overcoming Obstacles with My Core Values
Life is unpredictable, my friends. Whether you're in deep or shallow friendly waters, or on the most violent stormy seas, Your Core Values are your compass, depth finder and anchor, helping you navigate every challenge, discovery and success with courage, resilience and determination.
Take Mental & Physical Action Daily:
1. Identify a perceived challenge or opportunity and reflect on how your values can guide your response.
2. Seek inspiration from stories of individuals who overcame extreme adversity with their values intact.
3. Embrace challenges as opportunities for faith, growth and alignment with your values.
The Reality Check: Ensuring Alignment and Authenticity
Values, my friends, are not set in stone. You are constantly growing, right? And they should grow along with you, in the divine direction of the best light. Right? So, it's crucial to validate them regularly, just like yourself. But, ensure everything aligns only with the beliefs and aspirations that make you better and better.
Take Mental & Physical Action Daily:
1. Recite and review your Values Manifesto, noting how it helps you stay aligned and on course.
2. Seek feedback from close friends, colleagues, or customers on whether your actions align with your stated values. And be alert to advice that subverts your faith, beliefs and Core Values.
3. Embrace your unique journey. Only you, as the captain, can set and maintain your course over calm seas and violent storms. So, trim your Values Up if needed, but always stay true to the Values that steer you toward The Best You Ever!