Identifying what is truly important to you may help guide your behaviors and decisions to give you a greater sense of peace and fulfillment. Being grounded in our “why” can sometimes help us in our ”how,” particularly when challenges arise. Getting in touch with your “why” might include questions like, what is important to you? What are your values and goals? What actions will help move you toward accomplishing your goals? How will you think and act in alignment with your values? Reflecting on what is important to you may help you focus your time and energy on what matters most, how to persevere and adapt through obstacles or uncertainty, and create a greater sense of control in your life.
Here are some prompts that might help you identify some of your values:
- Who is someone you admire for how they live their life? Not just for what they have or have accomplished, but the qualities, traits, and ways that they live by.
- What was a recent moment where you felt engaged or motivated in your life? What work or qualities would embody that moment? What inspired you?
- What kind of friend, sibling, coworker, person do you want to be? What word best describes the impression that you want to make in those relationships?
- What sort of impact do you want to have on the world? When you're gone, what is the lasting change you hope to leave behind?
- When you think about your life, what matters to you?
