Rothsley Asks: What are your core values?

When we ask this question of our clients they sometimes tell us they can’t pinpoint their core values. They know they have values, we all do, but they seem to either feel they have a core of 20 or 30 values rather than three or five. With world values day this week, we explore how do you get to understand what your core values truly are and how you might use them to help make your life and your wealth aligned with what you believe in.
 

In defining your core values, ask yourself these three questions:
 
1. Who do you admire?
To better understand what you personally value, it helps  to turn to examples of people who have the qualities you not only admire but that you instantly associate them with. Think of your role models from your life, starting with your parents and grandparents to understand how your early childhood has impacted your beliefs.
From here you might include people you know personally, school teachers, friends, those you’ve admired from history and those celebrities and famous personalities.
As you think about them, consider the following:
·       What it is about them that inspires you?
·       What are the qualities they possess that inspire you?
·       And how could you inspire yourself to model the behaviours and beliefs they have.

2. What inspires you to take action?
Practice what you preach. Heard that before haven’t we? Often our core values reveal themselves through our actions. Think of those situations in your life when you’ve had that drive to inspire and felt highly motivated, and then you’ve taken action on it.
As you think about this, consider the following:
·       the feelings and emotions that motivated you to take action
·       what you personally were willing to risk in that situation
·       the results of taking action — what did you gain or lose?

3. When do you feel most like yourself?
Being your authentic self is the key to great leadership, both in business and in your own personal life. When you’ve been in situations that allow you to be authentic, that is generally a good indication of your alignment with your core values. When those feelings of regret enter into who we are, that’s usually a good sign you’ve moved away from your core.
So consider and reflect on when you’ve been in alignment and those times you haven’t. And ask yourself what’s driving you and your mindset at that time. What values drove your decisions is a good indicator to deciphering what makes up your core values.
 
What can values do to making your wealth matter?
With an understanding of your core values, you are able to see what your purpose is and align around it. Think about that for a moment, have you considered you could continue to make the same returns on your investment but feel far more aligned in doing so. At Rothsley, we strongly believe that when you are driving impact and making a difference, living in alignment with who you want to be, you’ll be able to drive impact in the wider society and world in which you live in. So, take the first step and maybe ask yourself the three questions which we’ve just discussed, it’s a start to making your values and your wealth matter to you.