I’ve spent this afternoon revisiting my personal values as part of a strategy session planning what projects I’m going to work on next.

My reason for doing this is simple - without understanding my values, and therefore what is important to me, it’s very hard to make decisions about where best to spend my time and what to prioritize.

I’ve chosen to write out my values as a keyword and supporting statement. That currently looks like this:

  • Integrity; an unwavering belief in who I am and what I have to give.
  • Openness; staying curious and sharing what I learn.
  • Stability; a solid footing from which to grow and thrive.
  • Trust; building on honesty and clear communication as a foundation for all relationships.
  • Connection; building relationships for inspiration, encouragement, energy and empathy.
  • Sustainability; living and working at a sustainable pace, developed through reflection, routine and self-compassion.

With my values clearly articulated, I can go to my list of potential projects and see how they align with them. To do this, I annotate each project with icons (see image below) to represent each value that it fulfils. For example, my weekly newsletter aligns with integrity, openness, trust and connection. This activity helps me to feel more confident in the decisions I make around the projects I prioritize and pursue.

This is day 22 of my #100DaysToOffload challenge. Want to get involved? Find out more at 100daystooffload.com