7 Ways to Live Your Values Everyday

Written by Ellie Coverdale. Narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi 

It’s important not only to know your personal core values but also how to apply them in your daily life. By living your values every day, you’ll find that you’re happier and more successful and living a more authentic life. The trick is to adopt behaviors that will keep them front and centre. Here are the 7 best ways to live your values every day.

1. Keep them visible.

Core values are best when they’re only a single word because then you can put them everywhere more easily. However, regardless of the length, write them down on sticky notes, on your computer background, your phone screen, and anywhere else that you’ll see frequently. The point is to keep them fresh in your mind so they will jump out at you when you need.

1. Share them with loved ones.

Your core values become more tangible and real when you talk about them. Discuss them with your partner, your family, and your close friends. As explained by Paul Newbury, a lifestyle writer at Boom Essays and Academized, “use your values to talk about your thoughts, what you’re feeling, and why you behave the way you do. The deeper the discussion, the more comfortable you’ll feel with your values.”

3. Surround yourself with the right people.

The best way to live your values every day is to be aware of the people you surround yourself with. They don’t need to have the same values as you, but they need to fit within yours. For example, if a core value of yours is creativity, your friends don’t need to be creative but they need to support yours. Make sure you spend your time with people that will support and accept your values, or else you’re setting yourself up for conflict.

4. Review your daily tasks.

Core values help you make good decisions every day, and it helps to use your values when building your to-do list for the day. Your values can help you determine if you’re doing the right things that day. For example, if your core value is productivity, you want to make sure everything you’re doing is productive and reach maximum results. This helps you make sure that everything you’re doing is consistent with your core values and you’re living your life in the most aligned way possible.

5. Talk about them.

When you start talking about your values regularly in conversation, they become all the more real and an opportunity to express yourself. Even if you’re just having a casual conversation, there are great opportunities to bring up some of your values to explain why you do certain things. In fact, Joanne Hurley, a psychology blogger at Essay Roo and UK Writings says that you should “make your core values an integral part of your vocabulary and your daily conversations, and you’ll never forget them. You’ll also be more engaged to live your life according to those values because everyone else around you will know what matters to you.”

6. Use them for motivation.

Your core values should be a central part of deciding what you want in the future. Every time you have an opportunity or you set yourself a goal, you should look at that via your core values and see if they work together. If they don’t, you risk encountering unnecessary obstacles on your path. Take some time once or twice a year to plan for the future and think about whether you’re on the right track and your values are aligned.

7. Reflect before bed.

The best way to improve your life and make sure you’re living your values is to reflect at the end of each day. Before bed, review your actions and decisions and decide if they were consistent with your values. There are always areas that you can stray so you can identify those for improvement the next day. At the end of the day, it’s all about living a happy life where your actions are aligned with your values.

By following these 7 suggestions outlined here, it becomes easier to live your life according to your core values. Doing so will make you more successful and more consistent as a person, ultimately increasing your happiness and productivity.

Guest Bio

Ellie Coverdale is a spiritual writer at Big Assignments and Ox Essays. She loves sharing her insights about meditation, spirituality, and mindfulness with her readers. You can also find her writing at the blog Elite Assignment Help.

Further Reading and Resources 

TED Talks: Ideas worth spreading

Psychology Today: Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favourite subject – Ourselves

Life Hack: Tips for Life

Elite Daily: The Voice of Generation Y

Four Hour Work Week: How to escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.

The Minimalists: How to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and be happier.

Mind Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Using Your Brain

Rich Roll: Plantpowered Wellness Advocate

The Art of Charm: Build confidence, feel comfortable and networking differently.

American Psychological Association: The largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United State

The Art of Manliness: Encouraging men to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens.

Tiny Buddha: Simple wisdom for complex lives.

Brain Pickings: An inventory of cross-disciplinary interestingness, spanning art, science, design, history, philosophy, and more.

Mind Body Green: Lifestyle media brand dedicated to inspiring you to live your best life.

Zen Habits: Find simplicity and mindfulness in life.

Creative NonFiction: “true stories well told.” 

Addicted 2 Success: Motivation & Inspiration Website full of quotes and inspiring articles for entrepreneurs.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.

The Positivity Blog: Practical articles on happiness, self-esteem, productivity and social skills.