TRY THIS: CREATE Your own personal values list
I wanted to share some thoughts about creating a personal values list - something I've found to be tremendously powerful both in my coaching practice and hypnotherapy sessions.
Understanding your core values is like having an internal compass that guides your decisions, behaviors, and life direction. When we live in alignment with our values, we experience greater fulfillment, purpose, and authenticity. However, when our actions contradict our values, we often feel that subtle but persistent discomfort that something isn't quite right.
What's fascinating about our values is that while they may feel fixed and unchangeable, they're actually quite fluid throughout our lives. What mattered deeply to you in your 20s might shift as you enter different life stages or experience transformative events. This malleability is actually wonderful news - it means we can consciously examine, refine, and even choose our values as we grow.
I think it's important to mention that values can really be anything that brings meaning to your life - they don't have to be grand philosophical concepts. Your values might include things like:
Taking time to laugh every day
Noticing beauty in small, everyday moments
Protecting 5 minutes that's truly just for yourself
Savoring your morning coffee without rushing
Walking barefoot in grass once a week
While traditional values like integrity, loyalty, and truth are certainly important for many people, your personal values can be much more specific and unique to your life experience. These smaller, daily values are often more relatable and easier to integrate into your everyday life. They can serve as powerful anchors for mindfulness and satisfaction.
Here's a simple process to identify your current values:
Take some quiet time for reflection. Ask yourself: "What matters most to me? When have I felt most alive and fulfilled? What small experiences do I look forward to each day or week?"
Notice patterns and themes in your answers. These often point to underlying values that might be expressed in everyday actions and moments.
Test these values against your emotional responses. When you imagine living fully by a particular value, how does it feel in your body? True values create a sense of resonance and rightness.
Remember, this isn't about finding the "correct" values, but rather discovering what genuinely motivates and inspires you uniquely.
Through hypnotherapy, we can sometimes access deeper awareness of values that might be operating below conscious awareness. Through coaching, we can develop practical strategies to align your daily choices with these discovered values - whether they're about life's big questions or the small moments that bring you joy.
I encourage you to revisit your values list periodically. As you evolve, so too might your values - and that's not only normal but a sign of healthy growth.
Would you be interested in working through this values exploration process together? I'd be happy to guide you through some deeper exercises to clarify what truly matters to you right now. Just drop me a note to angie@statesofmind.co.uk