Value Definition
A value is an abstract concept that a person is willing to embrace at the expense of personal comfort.
What Do You Value?
So what do you value? Have you ever stopped to figure this out?
To help you answer this all-important question, I’ve provided a list of values below. The best way to approach this exercise is to read the list of values and associated definitions while asking yourself, “What would I be willing to embrace at the expense of personal comfort?” In other words, “What am I willing to stand up for?” It can help to ask yourself questions such as:
Think of a major event that took place in your life. What did this event inspire you to do? What did it make you think of? If you were not inspired by that event, why not? What kept you from being inspired? Think of a major world event that has taken place in your lifetime – maybe it was the assassination of JFK, or the Oklahoma City bombing, or 9/11, or the fall of the Iron Curtain, or the demolition of the Berlin Wall. What did this event inspire you to do? What did it make you think of? If you were not inspired, why not? What was going on in your life that kept you from being inspired?
It all comes down to this: “What makes you step out of your comfort zone and sacrifice your personal comfort?”
As you go through this exercise, keep in mind that my list of values is not exhaustive. I’m sure that many other values are not listed.
If you think you may have one or more values that are not on this list, by all means add them. Just jot them down underneath the list or in the margin. The other thing to keep in mind is that the definitions I’ve provided may not be exactly what you think. That’s okay. These definitions work for me, but they are not perfect. If you think of something else when you read a value, just replace my definition with yours. The outcome of this exercise is to help you determine your most important values, not to quibble over definitions.
The process of determining values should be revisited periodically. I tend to take a detailed look at what I value once a year, but some people may also want to review their values during times of stress. In times of great stress, what a person really values becomes very apparent.
When you come to the list below, stop. Review the list, sorting through the values for yourself, and pick your top six values. Let me repeat that advice: take the time to review these values. Sort them into categories according to High, Medium and Low importance. When you have completed this, select the six most important values from the high-importance category and write them below.
| Values | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accountable | Take responsibility for outcome/actions |
|
Achievement |
Strive for the completion of your goals. Once one is done you must start on the next. |
| Action or Urgency | Strive for the completion of your goals. Once one is done you must start on the next. |
| Affluence | High income or prosperity |
| Analytical | The ability to apply logic and analyze many different solutions/possibilities when addressing problems/issues |
| Authority or Power | Having the opportunity to control events and activities of others |
| Balance | Giving the proper time and priority to all areas of your life |
| Challange | Gets energy from accepting and meeting challenges |
| Change | Valuing change and continuous improvement |
| Committment | Take ownership for anything that you commit to |
| Community | Working towards and supporting goals or a purpose that may not always align with personal desires |
| Competence | Being able to effectively perform in an area or areas |
| Competition | The need to perform at a top level in everything |
| Confidence | A firm belief in yourself and abilities |
| Consistent | The need or perform or behave in a consistent manner |
| Courage | Strength to stand up for what you believe in |
| Creativity / Innovation | Using your imagination and innovation to discover or develop new ideas or things |
| Customer Satisfaction | Striving to ensure that customers receive the highest level of service |
| Diversity or Tolerance | Ability to respect diverse people/cultures/lifestyles |
| Diplomatic | Having tact when dealing with others |
| Economic Security | Secure employment where financial needs are met |
| Effectiveness | Producing the desired effect to achieve results |
| Efficiency | Producing the desired effect in a timely manner without waste |
| Fairness | The desire to treat everyone equally |
| Faith / Religion | Belief in a supernatural power |
| Family | Spending time with your family (immediate and/or extended) |
| Fitness | To stay in shape physically, mentally and emotionally |
| Friendship | Being with friends or building new friendships |
| Fun | Humorous. Able to laugh. Lightheartedness |
| Growth | The desire to continually learn and develop yourself |
| Happiness | A state of well being and contentment |
| Harmony | The need to avoid conflict |
| Helping Others | Always ready and willing to go out of your way to help others |
| Honesty | To be truthful |
| Humour | Good spirits, always positive and cheerful |
| Independance or Freedom | Freedom from influence or control of others |
| Inspiration | Needing to inspire self and/or others |
| Integrity | Trustworthiness. Adherence to a strict code of values, moral or ethical standards both when people are looking and when they are not. |
| Interactive | The need to work with others and not independently |
| Knowledge | Program of or pursuit of continual learning and understanding |
| Legacy | Making a difference that will impact future generations |
| Love | To be involved in affectionate, intimate relationships |
| Loyalty | Dedication and faithfulness |
| Passion | Strong emotional feeling. Intense enthusiasm. |
| Patience | The ability to deal with things during times of stress and annoyance or to deal with things over a period of time |
| Perfection | Striving for perfection in everything that is done |
| Persuasion | The need to win people over to a way of thinking, idea, plan or concept |
| Popularity | The need to be in a good social standing in every social setting |
| Positive | Always having a positive outlook on circumstances |
| Quality | Striving for a defined standard of excellence |
| Recognition | The need for receiving and giving recognition for work performed |
| Reflection | Thinking back on past events and applying them to current situations |
| Risk | The need for activities with a higher level of risk |
| Self-Respect | High level of self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem |
| Simplicity | Freedom from complexity |
| Status | Position of prestige |
| Stability | To avoid upheaval and change. Status quo |
| Structure | The need for and complying with processes and systems |
| Teamwork |
Having cooperative relationships with a group of people in a working environment |
| Trust | To rely on another‘s integrity or character |
| Volunteerism/Service | Providing a service above what is required typically for no remuneration |
| Wisdom | The ability to compare knowledge, understanding and experience and determine the proper course of action |
If you want to get maximum value from this seminar, it is essential that you take the time to do this exercise.
Pick your top six values:
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Now pick your top two values:
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