Identify Your Personal Values and Trade Hustle for Flow

What if I told you there’s a way to create more energy in your life- without adding more to your to-do list?

Not through discipline.
Not through productivity hacks.
And definitely not through pushing harder.

Instead, by aligning what you already do with what you truly value.

Let’s talk about Personal Values- and how identifying them is one of the most powerful (and ease-filled) actions you can take.

What Are Personal Values, Really?

Your Personal Values are the fundamental beliefs and principles that guide your behavior, decisions and actions.

They’re deeply ingrained in who you are and they quietly influence:

• How you interact with others
• What drains your energy
• What fuels your sense of fulfillment

When you experience something goes against your values, you feel sad, bad, or mad.

When you experience something that aligns with your values, you feel energized, happy and fulfilled.

And that feeling you get when you feel “in flow”?
That’s not accidental- it’s alignment with your values.

When you know your values, you gain clarity about what energizes you and what drains you. From there, making decisions- big and small- gets a whole lot easier.

Why Living in Your Values Feels So Effortless

When your daily actions align with your values, your “doing” feels lighter. More natural. More satisfying.

That’s because you’re no longer forcing yourself to operate in ways that contradict who you are.

Instead, you’re choosing roles, routines, relationships and responsibilities that support and honor what matters most to you.

And that’s when hustle starts to dissolve into flow.

(Sounds good, right?)

How to Identify Your Personal Values

This doesn’t require a personality test or hours of journaling.

It starts with noticing.

In your reflective practice, look back on your days and ask:

• What am I doing that gives me energy?
• What consistently lights me up?
• What feels meaningful- even when it’s tiring?

Then, look for patterns, for example:

• You may feel most alive when you’re in nature- not just walking, but truly noticing beauty, detail and stillness.
• You may feel energized when you’re collaborating, teaching or creating something new or making something better than it was before.
• You may love strategizing and organizing- whether that’s business systems, vacation itineraries, or yes… spreadsheets.

Those recurring themes?
They point directly to your values.

What Personal Values Actually Look Like

Values aren’t abstract ideas- they’re qualities you embody when you’re at your best.

Creative.
Adventurous.
Strategic.
Grounded.
Spiritual.
Excellence-driven.
A builder.
A teacher.
A contributor.

There’s no "right" list- only your list.

How Values Impact Your Energy (In Real Life)

Your values influence what you do, how you think, and how you feel- every single day.

When your actions align with your values, motivation to get going feels easy. Even when effort is required, it feels purposeful and meaningful. Energy flows.

For example, one of my core values is transformation. It shows up everywhere for me:

• My passion for my work as a coach (being a conduit of growth, change and transformation for my Clients)
• My love of ceramics (transforming sticky, wet dirt into a magnificent piece of pottery)
• My love of design (taking a blank canvas and adding personality and details to make it unique, stylish and meaningful)

Recently, I realized how much I loved cleaning my own house and how my surprising love of this commonly dreaded task is related to my value of transformation.

While I'm physically exhausted after the hours of cleaning- it's the good kind of tired that feels deeply satisfying- because the work of cleaning honors my value of transformation- clearing away the yuck to reveal and honor the beauty of our home.

Just the opposite is true when I do or see things that go against my values.

For example:

• I also value excellence. So when I’m doing just about anything, I above and beyond. My husband says- walk away and let it be. But it’s hard for me, because I want to feel I’ve given the project my ALL.
  • Knowing I value excellence, I always build in extra time to complete a project or task.
• I'm also very sensitive to noticing a business that's not well-run. I notice the big and little "yuck" things about an experience. Instead of focusing on what I don't like, I use my observations to develop a better way of doing business, for me.
  • I attribute my ability to re-frame a "yuck" experience (and not get caught in the drama) to my awareness of my value for excellence.

Over time, notice for yourself- what gets you sad, mad, feeling bad- anything that drains your energy. That's a clear sign that something about the experience goes against your values, so you're going to want to avoid this "thing" in the future.

(read more about my Personal Values on the ABOUT page of my website- scroll to the bottom)

How to Start Living More in Your Values- Every Day

Once you know your values, the next step is weaving them into your everyday life.

Here’s how to start:

• Add values awareness to your Reflective Practice
• When reviewing your daily priorities, design and prioritize one action, simply because it aligns with your values
• Hold yourself accountable and do it even if you feel tired- because aligned action generates energy (instead of draining it)

For example:

• You may feel drained, but going to your weekly volleyball league or yoga class lights you up- so you go anyways and feel better afterwards.

Notice Everything (This Is the Secret)

Notice what feels good.
Notice what feels heavy.
Notice what feels like wading through mud.

Ask yourself:

• Which value is being honored here? (the good-feeling stuff))
• Which value is not being honored here? ( the yuck-feeling stuff)

The more you notice, the easier life can become.

Because over time- you’ll get really good at saying YES to actions, commitments and environments that align with your values- aka: who you truly are.

And that’s when hustle gives way to flow.

Ready to Explore Your Values in More Depth?

• Follow this link to visit the ROOTS page on my website
  
  • On that page, read about Personal Values being 1 of the 8 ROOTS of your Personal Foundation
• Then, scroll to download your FREE ROOT BOOSTER: "The Identify Your Personal Values Workbook"

In the Workbook, you’ll take simple, guided steps to:

• Identify your Personal Values
• Design daily actions that align with your own unique Values
• Create a life and business that feels easier, more fulfilling and more YOU!

Because when your ROOTS are strong and aligned- everything gets easier!