"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation,
because your character is what you really are,
while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
– John Wooden
I am a big believer in personal branding. How you are viewed in the marketplace is important to your success. But character is even more essential than branding. Character goes deeper than reputation or image. Character is built below the surface and behind the scenes.
One of the best ways to cultivate character is to develop your own set of personal values. Personal values are simply qualities that are important to you. They are characteristics or behaviors that you want to live out.
Why?
Why would anyone want to develop a set of personal values?
1. Personal values increase your personal fulfillment.
Anytime you live in alignment with what is important to you, you are living with intention and purpose. You close the gap between who you want to be and who you are.
2. Personal values guide you in decision making.
Your personal values are your "true north." Like a GPS, they guide you in the direction you should go and give warning signs when you get off track.
3. Personal values keep you grounded in difficult situations.
Living by your personal values helps you develop inner strength. Like a tree with deep roots, they keep you grounded when the winds of adversity blow.
In this difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic, you may lose your income, you may lose your job, but no one can take your personal values. If you persevere during tough times and stay true to your values, you will likely flourish on the other side of adversity.
How?
So how can you develop your personal values?
Here are a few ideas.
Step 1: Brainstorm.
Before looking up any list of values, think about what is important to you and the qualities you would like to model. List as many as you can think of. Try and make them a combination of warmth and strength. Successful people are both tough and tender. Make sure your list is balanced.
Step 2: Look your words up in a thesaurus and see if you like any words better.
For example, initially, my list included discipline but then I came across grit. I like that word better. I liked the word vitality better than enthusiasm. Try to select words that resonate with you emotionally.
Step 3: Limit your list to a total of 7.
I recommend no more than a list of 7. I used to have 15 values and I liked them all, but I spent more time trying to remember them than thinking about how I can apply them. You want to be able to recall this list without difficulty.
Step 4: Before you come up with your final list, let them incubate in for about a month.
See if they stick or if you discover alternatives as you live your life from day to day.
Step 5: Once you have your list, spend a few minutes each morning or evening thinking about living your values.
Develop a short, written narrative about how you want to live out your values and read it every day. It does no good to create your values then fail to regularly reflect on them.
Here is my list of personal values:
Integrity
I want to be the same person in private that I am in public. I want to be authentic, what you see is what you get. I want to be the same person no matter what group I am with. I want to be dependable and consistent.
Focus
I want my life to be concentrated in a few areas. I don't want to be a mile wide and an inch thick. I want to concentrate on developing my few strengths. I want to be sharp rather than well-rounded.
Grit
I want to be tough, resilient, and possess the ability to work through challenges. To grind things out.
Love
Love is simply kindness in action. I want to be thoughtful and considerate of others. I want to exercise patience and give others the benefit of the doubt.
Vitality
I want to fully enjoy life with positive energy and passion. I want to put my heart and soul into the things I do.
Wisdom
I want to be continually learning and growing. I want to make smart choices. I want to obtain insight on how to best live this journey called life.
Generosity
I want to share my time, resources, and talent for the benefit of others.
It's a bit scary sharing these values publicly knowing that I am not close to living out any of these values fully. But if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.
I want to encourage you to develop your own list of personal values. Most people won't take the time to do this. But I am betting you are not like most people.
"You have to be before you can do.
You have to do before you can have."
-Zig Ziglar