Leading A Value-Based Life

Every man who must succeed in life must decide what is most important in his or her life. The same goes with every successful organisation or team you know about. That is what building personal values is all about.

Values are traits or qualities that are considered worthwhile; they represent your highest priorities and deeply held driving forces. They are the drivers of our ultimate responses to life.

When you want to succeed in life, build a godly and prosperous family, raise wonderful kids, you must hold values and beliefs that correlate to these or else none of them will be possible.

The power and freedom to choose what is most important to us is one of the greatest privilege we have as humans, but at the same time can become one’s undoing when we choose to build our lives on wrong and ungodly values.

Whatever we choose to do in life whether it is who to marry or what career path to follow or what business to build or what to study in school or who to accept into our circle of friends must be based on what values we hold or control these circumstances.

Our values (should) determine our priorities, and, deep down, they’re probably the measures we use to tell if our life is turning out the way we want it to. When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good — you’re satisfied and content. But when these don’t align with your values, that’s when things feel… wrong. This can be a real source of unhappiness. This is why making a conscious effort to identify your values is so important.

Life can be much easier when you acknowledge your values — and when you make plans and decisions that honour them. If you value family, but you have to work 70-hour per week in your job, will you feel internal stress and conflict? And if you don’t value competition, and you work in a highly competitive environment, are you likely to be satisfied with your job? If you value God, will be happy or comfortable spending your time all day out of his presence?

In these types of situations, understanding your values can really help. When you know your own values, you can use them to make decisions about how to live your life.

So, take the time to understand the real priorities in your life, and you’ll be able to determine the best direction for you and your life goals!

Take a look at this list –

ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility….. the list is endless….

Do you identify yourself with any of the word on the list? As many words on the list that you identify with are indications of what are most important to you and when you look back at your decision, you will notice you have based them on those inclinations or you have compromised them only to feel bad after the short pleasure.

You are always unhappy when you live your life out of the boundaries of your values. This is the test for whether your values have been violated or not.

So in the coming year, you will be faced with tough questions like:

• What job should I pursue?
• Who should I marry?
• Should I accept this promotion?
• Should I start my own business?
• Should I compromise, or be firm with my position?
• Should I follow tradition, or travel down a new path?

……when you face them, be sure you have the right values to base your decision on. You will not achieve much success without values in the coming year. To help you build a solid value-based life in the coming year, allow me to share with you these suggested steps to you…

Step 1: Identify the times when you were happiest

Step 2: Identify the times when you were most proud

Step 3: Identify the times when you were most fulfilled and satisfied

Step 4: Determine your top values, based on your experiences of happiness, pride, and fulfilment

Step 5: Prioritize your top values

Step 6: Reaffirm your values

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