Last week’s podcast guest, Dr. Josie Perry, shared a few tidbits about how knowing your values can actually be performance-enhancing. It’s a fantastic episode, and we loved the points she made about values. Since many of us are getting into a New Year frame of mind (or a family-oriented holiday frame of mind), this week seemed like a great chance to really dig into thinking through what your values really are.
For the sake of brevity, we’ll list a few of our favorite/more common values here, but you absolutely should make up your own list of 3-5 values that have the most meaning for you:
- Friends
- Family
- Loyalty
- Persistence
- Success
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Freedom
- Stability
- Passion
- Empathy
- Humor
- Respect
- Equality
- Autonomy
- Creativity
- Communication
- Service
- Simplicity
- Intelligence
- Wealth
- Safety
- Health
- Discipline
- Dependability
I talked about it in our upcoming episode this week, but my issue with these values exercises has always been that all of these values seem pretty damn good—but then again, that’s the point. And of course, values will change over time. Someone without kids might not have family as a value, but if they do decide to have kids, suddenly, family may be at the top of the list. At one time in your life, wealth may be more important than creativity, but the scales could tip in the other direction. So, I think my biggest advice here is just pick the 3-5 values that feel right for you, right now. Don’t overthink it—go with your gut here.
Then, keep those values at top of mind, whether that means having them listed on a piece of paper on your desk, or written in bathtub crayons in the shower (my personal favorite). Use them when you’re thinking about your upcoming athletic goals. If your value is family, for example, you may need to rethink or reframe your athletic goals to include the kiddos, or ensure that once you have hit that athletic goal, you have a fun trip or something ready to do with them. If your value is discipline, or even dependability, use that to fuel getting out the door for your workout every day. Keeping these values at top of mind makes even the most mundane easy runs and rides feel like they’re pushing you in the right direct, towards a meaningful value-centered life!
Want more on goal setting? Check out our book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete, right here:
