Matter Why Your Values
Your values are an unequivocal part of who you are, and yet, they’re sometimes hard to identify. Adding to the struggle, different values play different roles in both your personal life and your professional development. Plus, they’re constantly evolving, making regular checkins and adjustments necessary. Some examples of core values include connection, honesty, and commitment to social justice, while professional values may include balance, growth, and integrity. Of course, these values may overlap too. For instance, time with family, although it occurs at home, may be dependent on your career path, making it an important part of the puzzle in both your personal and professional life. In Live LYTE Counseling & Services inaugural blog post, we take a closer look at the importance of knowing your values in both your personal life and your professional development. The Importance of Values in Your Personal Life Before we dive in, let’s look at the difference between goals and values and why you should put an emphasis on values instead of goals. A goal is an achievable task with a focus on the outcome instead of the process. With this type of singular concentration, it’s common to feel let down or disappointed once the goal is (or isn’t) reached). A value is defined as a belief that guides us. Rather than “achieving” our values, we regularly engage with actions that are in line with them, guiding us to act in ways that make us proud and behave in ways that make us feel good. Now that we’ve defined values, it’s easy to see why they’re important, especially for people who are dedicating time to therapy services. Taking that first step and identifying your values can have a positive impact on your relationships, your sense of self, your work — your whole life, really! They help you better understand what matters to you, what makes you tick. You must do more than simply name them though; you need to truly connect to your values and act in ways that bring you closer to them. In doing so, you can find fulfillment and contentment and positively impact your mental health. 12
July 2021 InSession | FMHCA.org
Some individuals have been disconnected from their values, so focused on what they believe they ‘should’ value based off of wanting to gain acceptance from others or what they’ve been taught by parents, family, and other influences. Counseling can help to uncover their true values and it can be a pretty liberating experience for them to identify who they are and what matters to them. An example of this would be how values impact how they spend their time and with whom. For many of us, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of connection. By recognizing this value and exploring ways to bring it into your life, you will feel more inspired in other areas of your life too. Maybe this means joining a virtual book club or engaging in zoom theme dinners with friends or family. Values are empowering. Whether you choose to take action or not, your values are still there, playing a role in how you feel and how you act. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you can learn to accept your inner emotions (rather than avoid or deny them), identify your values, and then live in a way that honors them both. It combines behavioral therapy and mindfulness skills in an effort to help you develop psychological flexibility and embrace challenges rather than running from them. Values in Professional Development Additionally, your values play a major role in your career path and professional development. First, they allow you to be clear about what you want and keep you focused and motivated. Knowing what you stand for ensures that you’ll do your best work, which in turn brings new opportunities (perhaps a big project or promotion) your way. Your values indicate what’s important to you, and by keeping them front of mind, you’re consistently staying true to yourself. Along these same lines, research shows that there’s a strong correlation between your values and job satisfaction. After all, how can you be happy if you don’t know what makes you happy? When you and your employer agree on things that are
