Practice living your values every day

- Your values aren't something you write down and then file away. They benefit you and inspire others when you work in alignment with them. Here are some simple practices that my coaching clients use to live their values. Start by sharing your values with a trusted colleague. As you speak about what's important to you, it impacts both you and others. For example, I might say to a colleague, I really enjoy helping others grow. Personal growth is a core value for me. Or I may say to a prospective coaching client, one of my personal values is telling the truth. If we're going to be a good fit, it would be important for you to be open to hearing the truth, even if it's uncomfortable. Now, your turn. When might there be good opportunities to bring up your values in the workplace? Perhaps as part of a feedback or annual review session or a team building session, or when you first meet with a new colleague? Start somewhere and share your values with someone you trust. It may feel uncomfortable at first. Trust me, it gets easier. Another way to stay present to your values is to keep them where you will see them often. Chart your values down on your calendar or as a screensaver on your computer. Post your values in your office or desk space. You might even make this a fun and creative exercise to do with your coworkers by coming up with icons or visuals or emojis that represent your values. As you make decisions, check in with your values. Most of us are on autopilot as we make decisions throughout the day, but there may be certain decisions that require you to connect more deeply with your values. Slow down when something bothers you. It may be a behavior you notice in yourself or others, or it may be a decision being made by others. Check to see where there may be lack of alignment with values. You can choose to write a leadership journal or ask yourself an accountability question every day. A useful writing prompt for your journal might be, how did I exercise values important to me? Your daily accountability questions are a list of questions you can ask yourself to remind you of what's important. It's a short five minute exercise. I rate myself from one to 10 on how well I did. The question on my list that relates to one of my values is, did I do my best to practice courage today in situations that call for it? What are other ways that you can think of to stay connected to your values? Find at least one tool and experiment with it. After all, your sense of wellbeing and inspiration depend on it.