Unveiling the Power of Values- What are your values and why do they matter?
Ever wondered why values matter? Do you know what your values are? In this blog (and the podcast that was the inspiration behind it), we talk all about values. Let’s dive in.
The inspiration for this blog and podcast came from when I was doing my ILM Level 7 in coaching and mentoring. We did a lot of training around values and the importance of these, not just to us personally, but also from a coaching and mentoring point of view. Although I was fairly confident in identifying my clients’ values in a holistic way, through experimenting with values questionnaires, the results that were revealed really supported these assumptions, and what that meant in different situations.
However, it’s not just about recognising values, but articulating these too. A lot of values are ‘hard wired’ and seeds sown from a young age. Values are, usually, inherently deep within, but bringing them to the surface can provide clarity.
Value questionnaires
How can you do this? If you work with a coach or a mentor you can explore these, but you can also use value questionnaires and exercises to establish, understand, and prioritise values. There’s a lot of value in working through such exercises for personal development. It can really help people to understand how they operate and why they make the choices they do. One way to do this is life values questionnaires, where individuals rate the importance of various values in their lives. This exercise helps in understanding personal priorities and making informed decisions.
Another level of values is beliefs, and often these are connected. Things like upbringing, family, and experiences shape can one’s belief system- and often we don’t know where these beliefs and the values that map to them started, but if we can uncover these beliefs and challenge as appropriate, it can have a big impact on our future career and even life.
Knowing and understanding one’s values can impact decision-making in various aspects of life, including career choices, relationships, and daily routines.
Neuroplasticity
But before you say that you’ve ‘always been like this’ and ‘can’t change’- I’ll stop you there. You can. The concept of neuroplasticity is an utter game changer for personal growth, allowing people to change and adapt over time. If you’re interested in this, I would definitely have a good look around at books on neuroplasticity- there are plenty out there.
And now it’s over to you. If you want to see how your values impact your world, reflect on your own values and consider how they might shape your decisions and actions.
Note: This recap provides a condensed summary of the podcast episode. For a more in-depth understanding, listening to the full episode is recommended.
