Written by: Caitlin Alfonso, LMSW
Everyone is on their own life journey and the guiding posts that each person chooses to use to navigate their course are known as values. Values are the beliefs that are important to you and influence how you live your life, make decisions, and set goals. Taking the time to identify and develop your values can be a helpful self-development activity.
Reflect on what brings you joy.
At the core of many people’s desires is to simply live a happy life; however, the things that bring us that joy can differ. For some people, happiness may come from being surrounded by people and friends, others may feel happiness through more materialistic measures such as wealth and financial security, while others may find that through internal validation – such as creative expression or the pursuit of knowledge.
Reflect on the traits of your role models.
Identify who you consider your role models. They may be a family member or someone of celebrity status, either way, think about the traits they demonstrate that you admire. Perhaps your role model is kind and makes everyone feel warm and special in their presence. Maybe your role model is bold and stands up for what they believe in. Maybe your role model is a person you trust, or they are talented in a skill you are passionate about. No matter who our role models are, the traits they embody and why we look up to them end up telling us about ourselves.
Reflect on your goals and aspirations.
Take time to really think about your future goals. Once you identify them, dig deeper, and reflect on the traits you need to achieve those goals. For example, if you aspire to be a doctor, you may value compassion and have a strong connection with helping others. If you aspire to be a lawyer, you might strongly value justice, just as a nail tech may value beauty or creative expression, and a physical trainer may value strength and health. However, not all goals have to be career-related. Perhaps you have a goal to save up money for a car, to get an athletic scholarship, or achieve a certain GPA, any of these goals could mean you value commitment and hard work.
Just as our goals and world perspectives change with our lived experiences, so do our values. However, because our values subconsciously guide us in navigating our daily lives and what we prioritize, it is important to take the time to reflect and make sure our values are really in alignment with the person we are and who we want to be.
*************************************************************************************************************
Caitlin Alfonso is a lover of coffee, reading, traveling and her dog, Remy. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and owner of Acornic Consulting, LLC.