What matters most to you?

What is most important to you?  Behind all of your actions and decisions reside values.  Core values guide you towards how you want to be in the world.  Often when you are conflicted, you find you are not acting in alignment with how you want to lead your life.

Values affect all parts of your life.  In your workplace, you will find that when you are having a disagreement with another colleague, what you believe will be at the root of the issue.

Your values could affect the work that you choose.  Or not choose.

After several months of not being able to find work and living in a new city, my aunt arranged for me to get an interview at a factory.  I was hired.

I was placed at the end of a conveyor belt where I picked up flat boxes that had just been glued at the seams and placed them in a bigger box.  I had two other components to the job:  ensuring the boxes were glued and the machine kicked out every 25th box. 

And that was it. 

Soon I was miserable.  I looked forward to coffee time and lunch, and those inevitable (thankfully!) machine breakdowns.

I dreamed of faraway places and how much money I could put away for adventures. 

What I realized was that some basic parts of me were starving.  Some of my core values such as contributing in a meaningful way, variety, and discovery were relegated to my off-work time.  Except work took up a lot of my time and energy. 

 That factory job taught me a lot about myself. 

You will notice that a lot of your own experiences will inform you of what is most important to you.  Even if you go in the back door like I did. 

Here are a few questions that arise when thinking of how values affect finding work that matters.

What are values?

Values are those guiding standards or principles we use to make decisions and are what drives our actions.  We have many values.  Often you will find that in values assessments, there is a process to pick your top values – those are your core values.   Here is a listing of some values. 

How are values used for finding work that matters?

Values are used in two ways:  to help determine your career and to assist you in finding the organization or company that would be a good fit.  Your values are one aspect of you that is used in the self discovery process of career exploration.  For more information on the Finding Work That Matters’ model, click here.

For job search, remember that you are on the same page as employers – you are both looking for the right fit.  What this means is that both parties need to have a clear idea of what they are seeking. 

Values drive every organization and company.  You will often see a listing of businesses’ values on their website.  Are they in alignment with yours?  If yes, how can you contribute in a way that acts on their values?

How do you uncover your core values?

I have developed a worksheet that you can access for free.  Click here to explore your values.  I would love to hear what you have discovered through the process.   You are welcome to email me at patricia@findingworkthatmatters.com

The core values that have emerged for Finding Work That Matters are integral to all of the work that I do with clients.  It provides the essence of the process and outcomes.  Below are my top 3 values:

Aliveness – to connect with what is alive in you and others

I agree with Marshall Rosenberg (creator of Nonviolent Communication) that what humans want is to connect with what is alive in ourselves and each other.  What makes you come alive? The sense of aliveness is engaging, energizing and expansive. 

Boldness – to step wholeheartedly into your life

The definition of boldness has 2 components.  One is to be daring and the other is about strength.  When I see a person being bold, they are working in alignment with their strengths, offering to the world their own unique gifts and talents.      

Contribution – to contribute in a way that is meaningful to you

Contributing is a personal choice.  For some, a contribution is a cause or an ideal and it certainly can be in very ordinary ways.  Check out this video for ways of contributing in our daily lives.  This is the way we change the world!

To find out how I can help you find work that matters to you, check this out.