Where is Health in your List of Values?
We can definitely go through life without them, but with them, we feel purpose, direction, and a sense of ease. We can wander aimlessly through life without them, or we can have guideposts that keep us moving along our path of life. I am talking about our values. Each person has their own set of core values that drive what they do and why they do it. Our values are the rationale why we say “Yes” to some opportunities and “No” to others.
When was the last time you really thought about your values? If I asked you to name your top 5 values right now, what would you say? Would you need to contemplate them or are they front and center in your heart and you could passionately rattle them off? Whichever the case may be, it is OK! Even those with conviction in their values may sway time to time or have to re-evaluate throughout their life.
I believe our values CAN change and adapt. I am 100% sure my values right now as I approach 40 are different than they were at age 25! However, I don’t believe our values change like the seasons! Our values need to be static and foundation
Many of my friends claim their faith as a big, if not top, value in their lives. They use their faith to guide their decisions. While this doesn’t make every decision easy, it provides a framework for evaluating how the choices may impact life. No One is perfect and even with a strong faith, we still fall short at times. The important thing is we learn from that decision, think about how it fits with our values, and then move on.
I ask you, where does “health” fall into your list of values? Is it in the top 5, did it make the top 10? I ask this because, if health is not high in your list of values, the attempts to exercise more, eat more fruits and vegetables, sleep better, improve your resiliency, and lose “weight” will not happen! Your decisions don’t have a foundational guidepost to bounce off of. When faced with should I go for a walk or sit on the couch, if you truly don’t feel the value of health, more than likely, you will find a comfy spot on the couch and put off walking until tomorrow.
I am not claiming health needs to be #1, but it needs to be on the radar. If health has never been a value for your, is it one you would like to incorporate? If you look at those who inspire you and people you aspire to be like, what are their values? This isn’t an exercise in trying to be someone you are not, this is looking at how values tie in with behaviors. What behaviors would someone who values health be doing? Are those behaviors you would like to include in your life? Do you see significance in how our life could be better if health became one of your guideposts?
Fit Mama Can Activity – Living your Values – Awareness, education, and action… it is the ACTION that truly changes our lives.
1. Check out this list of values and write down the ones that feel important to you. It isn’t an extensive list, so add on, and write in your own. Maybe you have 25 values listed as many are similar.
2. Whittle down the list by combining similar words and choosing the best in the category and prioritize the list with the most important at the top and try to keep it to 3-5 values.
3. Put your list so you can always see it!
a. Write it on a sticky note on your mirror
b. Write it in your planner
c. Set it as the screensaver or desktop on your computer or phone
d. If you use your phone for an alarm, set the description to your values so when the alarm goes off, you see your values! Bonus: set an alarm for random times throughout the day for quick reminders of your values.
IIn Love and health
Ashley