Values: Choosing What Matters Most and Doing What Matters Most
Values: a person’s belief that guide how they act
In terms of mental performance or sport psychology, our values are infinitely present; unlike goals that typically have an endpoint. You can set a goal of winning the championship or receiving a certain grade on a test; while you might value “the process” or “gaining knowledge/learning”.
It is important to name our values so you can identify what guides the decisions you make. Values list.
With our values you can start to make decisions that align with you; you can start to “choose what matters”.
For example, you value health and wellness. You might “choose” to go to bed early instead of staying up late on your phone because your recovery and sleep are essential to your health and wellness, a core value of yours.
Another example, you value relationships/social connection and learning. You have a lot of studying to do with a test the next day and a friend asks you to hangout. How do you navigate this? The first step is to stop and check in with yourself and your values; what aligns most with you and your circumstance? If you were “choosing” based on your values, learning might speak louder than social connection due to the fact you have a test tomorrow and you could schedule another time to hangout with your friend.
These are just examples and “choosing what matters” to yo can be a complex and difficult task.
Some initial steps for identifying your values:
Click the hyperlink above
Identify 15 values that you feel matter the most to you
Narrow down your list to 10 values, removing 5 of them
Narrow down your list to 5 values, removing 5 of them and leaving the 5 most prevalent values
In the days and weeks to come, check in and notice how the choices you are making align or might not align with your values. We are not judging, we are just noticing.
Awareness is the first step to change
These are your core values that are heavily present in your life and matter the most to you. Choosing what matters most to you can be difficult.
Values might resonate for some and not for others, nevertheless, like any mental skill it takes time to build and strengthen.
This was written by Joel Hark and originally posted on Unlimited Resilience’s Webpage, Feb, 2025.
