AUTHOR: Frances Litten
DATE: 4 July 2023

The Hidden Influence: How Values Impact Every Aspect of Our Lives

Have you ever considered the invisible force that shapes your decisions, influences your relationships, and defines your sense of fulfillment?

Values have a profound yet omnipresent influence on our lives. They play a major role in decision-making, relationships, and happiness. Let's take a closer look at where values may be at work below the surface in our lives.

What are Values?
Values are the core principles and beliefs that guide our behaviors, shape our character, and define our identity. They represent our deepest convictions about what is important and meaningful to us. While values may vary among individuals, they form the bedrock upon which we build our lives, influencing our choices and actions.

Research published in Forbes suggests that values serve as the compass that directs our life's course, guiding us toward fulfillment and purpose. They act as a framework through which we prioritize our goals, evaluate opportunities, and make decisions aligned with our authentic selves.

The Influence of Values
Values permeate almost every aspect of our lives, from our personal relationships to our professional endeavors. Let's explore some key areas where values impact our daily experiences:

Career and Work: Our values profoundly influence our career choices and job satisfaction. When our work aligns with our core values, we experience a sense of purpose, motivation, and fulfillment. On the other hand, a misalignment between our values and our work can lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment.
Relationships: Values play a crucial role in our relationships. Shared values often form the foundation of strong connections, fostering trust, understanding, and mutual respect. Conversely, conflicting values can strain relationships and lead to misunderstandings or disagreements.
Decision-Making: Our values act as a moral compass when making decisions. They help us evaluate options, prioritize our goals, and navigate ethical dilemmas. When our choices are congruent with our values, we experience a sense of integrity and alignment.

Consider for a moment a time in which you found yourself in a situation that strongly conflicted with your values. Perhaps it was a conversation, a relationship, or a job. Do you remember how difficult it was to feel a sense of fulfillment and happiness in that situation? Can you pinpoint which one of your values was being compromised? Now consider a recent situation that brought you satisfaction. Which value was being fulfilled at that moment for you?

Coaching and Values
Coaching is a powerful tool for personal growth and development that can deeply impact an individual's life. At its essence, coaching involves a supportive partnership aimed at facilitating self-discovery, unleashing potential, and achieving meaningful goals.

The Institute of Coaching suggests that coaching, with its focus on self-awareness and personal transformation, inherently addresses the exploration and alignment of values. By examining and understanding their core values, individuals gain clarity about their aspirations, motivations, and purpose. Coaches help their clients identify and leverage their values to set inspiring goals, make aligned decisions, and create a life that resonates with their authentic selves.

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), coaching interventions that incorporate values exploration have been shown to enhance self-confidence, increase fulfillment, and drive sustainable change. By aligning actions with values, individuals experience a profound sense of purpose, unlocking their true potential and creating meaningful transformations in their lives. Value-based coaching has the ability to synergistically propel personal growth and transformation because it focuses on creating an action plan that takes you toward a life that honors your values.

As we consider the power of values, we recognize that they are the guiding force behind so much of our reality. By embracing our values and incorporating them into our lives, we can forge a path that aligns with our authentic selves, leading to greater happiness, success, and overall well-being. My question to you is, are you aware of your core values so that you can truly begin to move toward them?

The most practical way to better understand your values is through one-on-one coaching. Coaching serves as a transformative journey that illuminates our values and supports us in living a life that reflects them. By working with a coach, we can harness the power of values to unlock our true potential and create the life we aspire to live.

Frances Litten

A get-things-done relationship builder, Frances Clare Litten is a travel enthusiast and bibliophile who thrives on new experiences. Frances combines her creative background as a touring musician with her corporate experience as the youngest ever Marketing Manager for Radisson Hotels. At 23, Frances relocated cities to launch a new Radisson brand in South Africa, and less than a year later was tasked with launching the first Radisson RED in Johannesburg. At 25, Frances joined the executive leadership team at Erickson Coaching International. She has hosted radio shows, created non-for-profit benefit events and booked music tours across Europe, the UK and her home country of South Africa. Currently, Frances is the Head of Global Marketing & Communications at Erickson Coaching International, a position which she fulfills remotely while exploring the world, and connecting with Erickson's wide community of coaches, alumni and partners. Frances has a BA in Music Performance, a Bcom in Marketing Management, and is an Erickson Certified Professional Coach.

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Topics from this blog: Coaching Perspective decision-making values