Perform a Values Audit

Is how you are spending your time and money in alignment with your highest values?

One of the things that is a root cause of unhappiness is a lack of congruence with what is important to us and our actions and behaviors. When our habits and behaviors are out of alignment, it results in frustration and deep unhappiness with ourselves. Many times, we may feel dissatisfied but aren’t exactly sure why. Doing a values audit can help you get back on track with your purpose and goals and lead to more satisfaction and happiness in your life.

When I was in a leadership role early in my career, I had a wake-up call that made me realize I was not aligned with my highest values. For Mother’s Day my youngest daughter, who was at the time around 8, made me a fill-in-the-blank Mother’s Day card that said, “My mom is good at working.” “My mom loves to work.” “My mom’s hobby is her work.” You get the picture. I was spending so many hours working and I was obsessing about work even when I was at home. I was not present for the people that I love the most and that are my highest purpose. It took getting a Mother’s Day card from my daughter to make me aware that I was not living congruently with my best self. I was so disappointed in myself and the last thing I wanted was for my family to think that I valued my work over them.

Looking back, this was a true gift from a very wise 8-year-old girl. Since then, I have been very intentional about how I’m showing up for my family and making sure I am dedicating time to my most important people. This doesn’t mean that my career is a low priority for me. I want to continue to share my skills and serve others through my work, however, I have put several tactics in place to help me be more present at both work and with my family. One of those tactics is doing a regular values audit. It keeps me focused on what is truly important to me and helps me realize quickly when I’m out of alignment and need to make some changes. Try the steps below to do your own values audit to see if you are being congruent with your purpose and values.

  1. Write down your top 5-10 values.

  2. Ask the people closest to you, possibly your significant other, kids, family, friends, and team what they think your top values are. Does this match what you are wanting to portray to your loved ones and the people you interact with?

  3. Evaluate how you’ve been spending your time over the past 3-6 months. Is this aligned with your top values?

  4. Audit your spending and where your money has been going over the past 3-6 months. Does this line up with what is most important to you?

  5. Make adjustments. Stop spending your time on the things that aren’t impactful to your top priorities. Do you regularly block time for the things that you put at the top of your values list both personally and professionally? Cut spending on the things you don’t truly value and that don’t improve life for you and your family. Are there places where maybe you should be spending more on the things that you say are the most important to you?

  6. Continue to check in with yourself and re-evaluate regularly.

Schedule a call today to get help with clarity on your goals and values. Develop better habits to improve your productivity by eliminating distractions and gaining efficiencies. Achieve your personal and professional goals faster and stay focused and intentional about what is most important to you.

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