Maximizing Value in Life

“What value can I offer today?” I often ask myself this question to put myself in the frame of mind of service. Not that I really need to be reminded that the career that I have chosen for myself as a life coach is one of service, but to put myself in the frame of mind of creating value for others daily. Before I could do that freely, however, I had to understand what value really means.
So what does value mean? Well, each of us has different ideals related to value, and we each give greater value to certain things over others, none of which oftentimes happens to mirror that of those who we love. Understanding and being aware of the things that bring meaning to each of us as individuals is the key to being able to connect with our personal goals and desires.
It is important that we each learn to connect first with our own personal values in order to attain fulfillment in life, work and play, and before we can fully gain a true understanding of what others may want from us. Making any assumption that someone else should instinctively know what we value can create huge miscommunications and put blocks in the way of appreciation and understanding in our relationships. Now how does one get a grasp on his/her values, you might ask. Well, one way is to do a Values Assessment, listing the things that are most important to you, and ranking them in order of priority. If you are thinking to do this exercise on your own, you will need to give yourself time to come up with the list of things that bring meaning to your life. So, invest in a journal or notebook and put yourself in a place where you can enjoy some uninterrupted “think” time, because some deep thought is required here. Then begin by listing as many things of value that you can possibly come up with, and when you feel that you have exhausted all possible options, put it aside for the day. Pick up your list another day and review it. You will be surprised what other items of value can come up for you. When you get to a point where you have totally exhausted all avenues related to your values and are at peace with your list, then it’s time to move to the next phase.
The next thing that you will need to do, is to group those values that appear to be connected in some way. There are sure to be many items listed that are undoubtedly related, e.g. a comfortable work environment could mean the same as a well decorated office for some, or a cohesive work unit or team for others. Some of your values may even overlap, so you can actually eliminate the ones that you think are redundant at this point. Once you are through grouping your related values, rank them in order of priority. Be patient with yourself as this may be a very emotional, soul-searching journey. Allow yourself the space and time to think this through, and to understand that what may have been important to you yesterday may not be a priority in the ultimate journey that you are mapping for yourself today.
When you are finished, take a good look at your top ten choices. These should be a good indicator of why you have made the choices that you have made in life. Now allow yourself to embrace who you are and to align your future life choices so that they mirror those values. The price that we pay for not living in alignment with our values is a huge one, which can manifest itself in displeasure in life and relationships, and can even show up as depression. So take the necessary steps to acknowledge them, and to chart a course for yourself where you can feel fulfilled in knowing that you are living the life that you desire, or are at least paving a way.
For those who have done some internal personal development work, this task can be simple. For others, it can be quite overwhelming. By understanding yourself and giving yourself permission to move at a pace that is comfortable to you, you can achieve your goal. Once you are satisfied that you have accomplished this, and by honoring yourself as you gain the understanding of what living a value-filled life means to you, you will begin to see that it is not in reaching the expectations of others that creates value, but in finding that which pleases you, and so long as it isn’t offensive to others, living in accordance with it.

Life Coach Tanya Ragbeer is a Certified Professional Coach. To contact Coach Tanya, visit her website: www.coachingwithtanya.com.