Do You Know What You Really Value?
It is pretty clear from a myriad of research studies that a high percentage of people in our country really struggle to stay engaged; both on the job and in their personal lives.You have probably found it true in your own ‘informal study’, talking with your friends, neighbors and co-workers about their jobs. Finding someone who really loves what they do is not a common occurrence.
In their book, “The Power of Full Engagement”, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz say that managing ENERGY, not TIME is the key to high performance and personal renewal. It is a solid, well researched book that essentially establishes the premise that working hard on time management is not the key to becoming highly motivated and productive; managing your energy levels is. This begins by evaluating how you are doing physically, mentally and spiritually and making proper adjustments.
A significant component in this process is having a clear picture of what it is that you value in this life. Many people say that they value one thing, but how they spend their time and/or money says something else. The bottom line is that when our behaviors do not line up with our values (or if we really don’t know what it is that we do value) we lose a tremendous amount of energy and become less productive and apathetic.
Here are 4 questions from their book to get you thinking:
- Jump ahead to the end of your life. What are the 3 most important lessons you have learned and why are they so critical?
- Think of someone that you deeply respect. Describe 3 qualities in this person that you most admire.
- Who are you at your best?
- What one-sentence inscription would you would to see on your tombstone that would capture who you really were in your life?
If these questions are hard for you to answer, it is likely that you have been avoiding looking inside for some time… you’ve probably been too ‘busy’. Having a clear picture of what it is that you really value can be a life changer; for you and for those who care about you.