INTENTIONAL ACTION: Let your core values guide you through life’s toughest decisions

When faced with difficult choices regarding career, relationships, or personal growth, it can be challenging to decide which path to take. Stakes may feel high, and options can appear overwhelming. To navigate this uncertainty, aligning with one's core values can provide clarity, purpose, and confidence in decision-making.

Core values are beliefs that become infused with feelings when activated. They form a set of standards that guide attitudes and behaviors, creating an individual's unique character. To identify one's key personal values, ask themselves, "How would I like to live my life going forward?" Then, incorporate five meaningful words to create a personal statement, such as "I choose to live my life calmly and creatively, with discipline and consideration, always remembering to be grateful."

Listing values makes it easier to choose the most resonant ones, providing a calm centre to make decisions during challenging times. Rather than trying to predict life's changes, focus on the principles that can offer steadiness. Values can bring purpose into clearer view and create meaning through intentional action in daily life, increasing certainty about one's approach and reducing anxiety about an unpredictable future.

To apply this in practice, consider completing three sentences: "I would like to be the best that I can be in my work by…; I would like to be the best partner/parent/child/friend (etc.) I can be by…; I would like to be respected/remembered for being…". By intentionally focusing on these "ways of being" in various aspects of life, individuals can create a mindset that leads to positive actions, whether starting a new business venture, excelling at work, enhancing relationships, or prioritizing health.

Ultimately, shifting focus from finding the perfect next action to identifying the values that should guide it can provide a steadier sense of purpose and greater agency.