During the 2024 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris was asked a question about her shifting policy perspectives, to which she responded, “My values haven’t changed.” That answer dogged her in the moment and for weeks to follow.
Here’s why: While values are foundational and guide decision-making, many are not permanent. They evolve with life stage, experience, new insights, age, or health status. [There were numerous better answers to that question, but I’ll leave that to the political pundits.]
When I was in my 20s, “creativity” was my top value, and it guided me to pursue work in a highly creative environment with a cadre of talented researchers, marketers, designers, and writers–many who became friends for decades to come. In my 30s, “family” and “flexibility” were top values because I wanted to be with my kids when they were little and build a safe and loving home for them, so I worked a reduced schedule. Then, when I returned to work full-time and wanted to earn more, a coach enlightened me that “money” was a value I could pursue without feeling guilty about it. 💰(He taught me how to have a healthy money mindset, and now I teach others in my self-guided course: Compensation Confidence.)
Today, my top value is “empowerment,” so I founded Equipt Women, where I use my time, experience, and gifts to help professional women advance their careers and love their lives. ✨
Think about values as your internal compass. 🧭 Values are what you deem to be important. Values guide how you behave and how you treat yourself and others. Values anchor you when you are doing hard things or feel challenged.
As Roy Disney famously said, “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” 💡
6 steps to arrive at YOUR values
1. Think about the people you most admire and the traits they possess.
2. Reflect on some of your most fulfilling moments in life.
3. Reflect upon some of the lowest points in your life as these have something to teach.
4. Scan a list of values on our free worksheet and based on the steps above, select 5 values that resonate the most in your personal life. Feel free to add to our list.
5. Now, select 5 that resonate the most in your professional life. If you feel stuck, think about jobs you loved or hated or moments you felt fully engaged or disengaged.
6. Examine both columns – Life and Work – and look for commonalities. Or differences. What do you see and feel when you examine both? Are there two or three that can be elevated to guide your work.life right now?
Some helpful tips:
✅ Don’t stress out if this doesn’t come quickly.
✅ If you’re new to thinking about this, it can take weeks for values to emerge clearly.
✅ If you have too many to choose from, let it sit for a while and revisit.
✅ Don’t let friends or family expectations guide you.
✅ There are no right or wrong answers.
✅ Ignore any “shoulds” here – your values must ring true to YOU.
Then what?
Define each value by describing how YOU interpret the word. For example, here’s how I define “empowerment”: 💪
“Encouraging and inspiring women to take control of their career and lives by helping them broaden the lens of what is possible, and championing the pursuit of fairness and equal opportunity.”
Then, list 3-5 behaviors for each value that will guide you so you know when you’re living up to the value (or not). Here are some behaviors that help me put my “empowerment” into action:
- Write a free weekly newsletter to share my experiences and insights.
- Listen intently during 1:1 and group coaching to fully understand.
- Ask where help is needed instead of assuming.
- Be a resource to brainstorm more possibilities.
- Help women negotiate for fair salaries and earned promotions.
Check in a couple of times per year and assess if you’re staying true to your values and what adjustments are needed to live your values. 📅
Recognize that your values will guide the friends you choose, who you date, marry or partner with, companies you work for, colleagues you connect with, places you live and travel, and how you spend your free time.
🎉 Check out our new Momentum Workbook – just released! – to explore your values further or experience other helpful prompts and exercises to know yourself more deeply. A new year is a great time to tap into the best you. Our Momentum Workbook is the most sought-after tool to ignite self-awareness, clarity, and action.
You’re equipt to let your values be your guide. 🌟
