Do Your Actions Reflect Your Values?

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

Do Your Actions Reflect Your Values?

Q: Between my job, my children, my spouse, exercise and my love of travel, I sometimes feel like I have trouble identifying what comes first. How can I better prioritize?

A: First ask yourself whether your inner world is in line with your outer world. People often set goals for what they want in life, but their daily and weekly activities don't reflect their values. Think of the people who say they put family first, yet work so much they don't have time to spend with their loved ones. These people miss baseball games, are no-shows at dance recitals, and miss dinner because they're constantly at the office. The stress continuously builds up because there's a gap between what they want and what they do.

We've all been there. I got into some financial difficulties halfway through my career, and for several years I feared I would lose everything I had earned. When I was in the deepest part of the struggle, I had a heartfelt talk with myself and evaluated where I was. I picked up a pencil and a pad of paper and wrote down my assets, which were good health, freedom, family, friendships, reputation, relationships, wisdom, strong work ethic, success, integrity, being a mentor, being a leader and enjoying lots of love—the list went on and on. In fact, the only thing I could not put on the list was money.

I felt sorry for myself before I made the list. But once I saw all of my assets in writing, I felt like a very lucky man. I realized that if I had to give away one of my values, it would have been money because I could always get that back, while I could not regain some of the other assets if I lost them. I quit feeling sorry for myself and started living in a way that reflected how I was grateful for what I did have. During my financial recovery, I read voraciously, flew helicopters, wrote a book and used the excess time to rebuild my business, all in addition to traveling the world with my family.

Your goals will become a reality faster and with less stress if they align with your values.

Once you have focus, then it's time to use the power of visualization to make your goals a reality. Remember, your goals will become a reality faster and with less stress if they align with your values.

When I studied helicopters years ago, I learned there are several gauges you must use to fly. It is absolutely essential to learn how to operate these gauges because when you hit a storm, you live by them. What will you do when you hit the storm? Learn how to focus on your values now so you can live by them in all seasons and avoid the pitfalls in life.

My priorities center on health, freedom, happiness and integrity. When I hit patches of chaos, I refer back to my core values.

We've all known people who get into trouble and then cave. They turn to affairs, alcohol or some other addiction to handle stress. They stop exercising, stop their habits of success and enter a downward spiral. That's because they didn't have a plan for the tough times, and they got derailed.

Source: http://www.success.com/article/do-your-actions-reflect-your-values