Changing Values to Win

"Values influence every aspect of our lives: our moral judgments, our responses to others, our commitments to personal and organizational goals." - Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner write in The Leadership Challenge

The essence of how we live are in our values. We do what we value. 

Ex. I might say I value my health but succumb to my desire to eat heavy carbs, thus living out my value of that emotional pleasure. 

Ex. Getting up early to workout with a group of Camp Gladiators is part of the plan to loose weight / improve strength. That plan is part of of the fulfillment my value of being healthy. 

Values are the intangible aspects of life that make you feel in alignment, complete, on track, and functioning at a high level.
At our core, values change over time and a life that recognizes and aligns with one's core values will feel more satisfying. 

We must first recognize 1. the values will living out versus 2. the values we want to live out. 

Then we can start making adjustments to our activities to align with our goals and desires. 

Some examples of values include adventure, fun, service, creativity, connection, etc. When we consciously design our life to align with our values, life gets immeasurably richer — and easier! 
Process. It's a process to gain clarity of your values and and as you do you'll start designing your life 
To discover your values, ponder these questions:
  • What is important to me?
  • What is important to me about that?
  • How does that make me feel?
Then break it down:

  • What did I do today that I liked? What value was that connected to?
  • What did I do today that I didn't like? What value was that connected to?
The change questions are "what values are winning?" :"What values do I want to win?"


Danny L. Smith, CMPS
512-773-6528