My business coach recently asked me “what’s your core values?” and I stared blankly at her. I instantly felt like I was back in school and guessing all the answers. “Ummmmmmm……..security?” was the way I started answering her. Always a great start answering a question with a question. But honestly, I just drew a blank.
If, like me, you don’t really understand why you need to know what your core values are, think of it like this: your core values are what you hold important in the way you live your life. They are your moral compass. They determine your priorities and subconsciously they will let you know whether your life is continuing along the path you have determined.
In her article What Are Core Values? Dawn Barclay explains that core values underpin how you live your life. She uses a game to illustrate her point. You need to read these statements and choose agree or disagree.
- It’s okay to go to bed without having brushed your teeth.
- Same sex marriages should be legal in every country worldwide.
- It’s totally acceptable to pick your nose in a public place.
- Life should mean life in a prison sentence.
- An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
- Eye contact must be made at all times.
- Money doesn’t buy happiness.
- All politicians are liars.
- All religions cause wars.
- It’s survival of the fittest.
Whether you agreed or disagreed will depend entirely on your value system. Our values are a little bit like an internal navigation system. Guiding and leading.
By understanding clearly what your core values are, it helps you in life when making decisions. After just one session with my coach, I couldn’t believe how I had been going through life without an understanding of what my core values were! By articulating what a successful friend/friendship looked like to me, it was evident why some of my friendships have failed. Had I better grasp of my core values earlier, I doubt that I would have allowed some of these friendships to have become as deep as they had become.
To find your core values, visit Dawn Barclay’s page where has worksheets available, or Colin Hiles has instructions on how to find your core values in five easy steps here. I hope you find this as interesting and enlightening as I did! If you have any helpful tips for others on how to find their core values, please let me know in the comments below.
ardcastle Social Media is an independent social media consultancy based in Inner Brisbane. We provide strategic social media marketing to organisations of all sizes. Specialising in Facebook business page management we provide services from setting up your Facebook business page through to total management of your current page. Contact us today on 0401 505 423 or info@hardcastlesocialmedia.com.au. We offer expert social media advice and look forward to discussing your business needs.