Core Values
"Your habits are how you embody a particular identity.
When you make your bed, you embody the identity of someone who is clean and organized. When you study, you embody the identity of someone who is studious.
What identity are you embodying today? Who are your habits helping you become?"
James Clear
Hello, Dear ones,
In my last letter to you, I talked about creating goals and the all-important step of getting that big picture of your vision before you create the goals. I had some great feedback that many of you found it helpful, which I so appreciate!
Today I wanted to share a transformation part of my journey, which has been cultivating awareness of the strengths I possess and the values I operate from in my life. I’m talking about our personal core values. You may have heard of these and know your values extremely well, or like some of my clients, you may not be sure what yours are. When I started this journey, I had a vague understanding of my strengths and values, but I didn’t understand why consciously knowing about them is important.
In the last two years, I’ve found that bringing mindful awareness to things-- like our experiences and feelings adds the power of intention. Understanding and connecting with my values has helped me find my own motivation. I’m deeply connected now to why I want to change or engage in certain behaviors. For example, I wanted to eat in a way that felt more nourishing for my body. I realized I wanted to do this because I care about my body, and I see caring for it properly as an act of self-compassion. Compassion is one of my core values, so treating myself with love, generosity, and empathy supports that value.
Core values are traits that we view as important to how we desire to show up in the world. Our behaviors and actions stem from our values and beliefs when we live our lives intentionally. My life has changed tremendously by becoming more aware of my values.
If you can connect to your values when you start making goals for your life or looking for your purpose, you will be more successful because you’ll better understand what drives you as a person. This is your life, and knowing what is important to you is vital to successfully making sustainable changes.
So how do we figure out our values? You can find many books and websites with quizzes with a simple Google search if that’s what you’re into. I chose to create my own activity instead.
I’ve included a list of words that could be described as values below, and you will need a couple of highlighters or whatever you have on hand. Spend some time reading each word. If it feels solidly like something that is essential to you, highlight it in one color, and if it feels like it is important, but maybe in a lesser way, highlight it in another color. Then, think critically about what each word means to you. Which values are essential to you? and which are nice to have? You may feel connected to several of these values, but typically 3-6 will be those core values – the ones you feel most connected to.
If the list activity feels a bit overwhelming, another option is to think about a time in your life when you showed up as your best self. What values were you expressing or living in that moment?
After determining your core values, think about why you chose those and how they show up in your daily life. What are you doing each day to truly live your values? Reflect on why you feel these are your core values and if the values you currently identify with are serving you or holding you back.
We can use these words to guide our behaviors and show up in a more authentic and genuine way. Our true values are always backed up by actions and behaviors. Each day we make decisions and choose to show up a certain way. Having an awareness of what is important to us empowers us to choose actions and behaviors that align best with our values.
I invite you to do some kind of exercise to discover what your values are. If you feel like you know, this may be an extremely validating experience for you. If you aren’t sure, then I hope this feels like an activity that will give you more information about your true and beautiful self. And if you're still feeling stuck and want to talk through it, please reach out to me here.
I am here for you, with you on this journey. Keep moving forward, my friends, one small step at a time.
With love and kindness,
Jessica
P.S. The fun thing I have been doing to care for myself is making lists! I love a good list and crossing out a completed item. I find lists to be soothing when I feel like I have a lot to accomplish, and they help keep me on track in busy times. I’d love to hear what you are doing to care for yourselves, especially transitioning into cooler times. You can reach out to me here!
If you found this e-mail helpful and would like to express gratitude, you can buy me a hot coffee here.
