You will never excel until you connect your actions to something you truly value.
“You will be as much value to others as you have been to yourself.” ~ Marcus T. Cicero
Look at YOU—Ever.
All last week we discussed the INTENTIONAL pursuit of EXCELLENCE.
The key point is that if you do not ACTIVELY REJECT mediocrity, you are unwittingly choosing it over excellence—and will be traveling down a road littered with broken dreams and failed expectations.
This week, we will be getting VERY personal… asking the truly IMPORTANT questions: Are you actually LIVING what you say you value, or are you consumed by the moment… with no forward movement in the direction of your dreams?
The importance of knowing what you value more than something else is critical to your day-to-day performance.
Because until you know what’s MOST important, you are spending the only life you have on things that simply don’t matter.
Knowing what you truly value, and how to put more of it into your life, gives you direction and purpose.
Remain confused and conflicted, and you will never attain the success you desire.
Why? Because without clear values for each of your major roles, it is impossible to develop the necessary sense of MISSION, PASSION, and PURPOSE. Without a strong sense of MISSION, it is impossible to create mission-centric GOALS. Without mission-centric goals, it is impossible to develop the PLANS necessary to achieve your mission.
Without rock-solid plans, your mission will be nothing more than a framed statement hanging on your wall.
(If you are not on track to achieve your top 3 goals for the year, I highly recommend that you take 2 minutes to do the above Mission, Goals and Plans TQ Tests again. Score less than 7 on any of the three, and you have just found a major hole in your performance… a gaping pothole on your road to success!)
Success: It’s a matter of VALUE.
So, are you spending the ONLY life you have to live on things that simply don’t matter? Please take some time today to think about what your values mean to you, and create a short list of what you believe your top 5 personal values are.
(If you have already gone through your MISSION Personal Workshop, this will be easy. If not, you may want to get with the program!)
What values will you live this week?
1) ____________________________
2) ____________________________
3) ____________________________
4) ____________________________
5) ____________________________
Time Horizon: This WEEK.
Do you VALUE your VALUES?
TQ Factor 2A is clear. Either you have a written list of what you value, or you don’t.
Do you? If not, why not?
A short list of values is all you need to design a well-lived life.
Your values are those ideals such as freedom, beauty, honor, love, wisdom, family or adventure that are more important to you than anything else.
A condensed list of values gives clarity to your life and establishes your ideal standards.
This list is your best guide to personal and professional satisfaction.
Put your list of personal values in writing — commit it to memory — and live each word — each and every day.
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” ~ Roy Disney
Factor 2A’s CONTRIBUTION to your performance…
A high commitment to this Factor of your performance suggests you have clearly identified those things that bring you the greatest sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
You may have always known what you value most, or it may have come to you over years of trial and error.
Either way, you now have a clearly defined list of core personal values that mean more to you than anything else.
This list is your target for what you have defined as living the perfect life.
Your life has meaning and purpose because you are in constant pursuit of what you value most.
Factor 2A’s COST to your success…
A lack of commitment to this area of your performance suggests you are someone without a strong cause or sense of purpose and direction.
You have a nagging feeling that whatever you’re trying to achieve right now, isn’t quite it.
You may be getting by, but you don’t feel fully invested in your work — and deep down, you lack heart and ambition.
You want your achievements to mean something, but you’re not sure what.
Without the peace of mind that comes from knowing precisely what you want — you may feel restless, burned out or stressed out.
There is no other way to say it: You are trading the ONLY life you have to live for things that simply do not matter.
Factor Benefit…
You have MORE power…
In life and in work, passionate desires produce the greatest results. You accumulate performance positives like “Purposeful, Passionate and Rewarded” — immediately moving you towards the results you expect.
What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 2A? You have less power…
You’ll never excel until you connect your actions to something you truly value. Negatives like “Aimless, Direction-less and Apathetic” start to take their toll on your performance — quickly moving you away from the success you want.
The Bottom Line…
As you go through the rest of the month, take a hard look at your life. Don’t filter your observations through the “good enough” lens. Expect more!
Imagine what your life will be like when you are actually LIVING what’s most important to you.
Commit to LIVING what you VALUE.
Everything will change. — E.R. Haas, CEO
Category: Color Commentaries, Personal Growth
