When you hear, “high value”, what pops into your head? Don’t think too hard, just notice what comes up first. In our society, high value generally equates to things that have a large monetary value, such as an expensive home or the market price of a successful company. If someone is willing to pay a lot for something, we consider it to have high value. If that’s where your mind went, you’re not alone.
I’d like to offer a different perspective, starting with a shift from monetary value to personal values. Your values are those elements you must have in your life to be truly happy and fulfilled. They are at the core of who you are at your very best, and they are different for every individual. If we apply the term high value as a guide for how to best invest our resources (time, energy, money, attention), we can see that anything that helps us honor our values can be considered high value. Let’s look at a few examples.
- If you have a value of well-being, and what that means for you is staying healthy, fit and rested, then getting 8 hours of sleep each night could be a high-value decision for you.
- If you have a value of presence, and what that means for you is being fully engaged for your team, then choosing not take your cell phone to a meeting could be a high-value choice for you.
- If you have a value of creativity, and what that means for you is giving your mind space to play with ideas, then spending time daydreaming in a hammock could be a high-value activity for you.
- If you have a value of security, and what that means for you is saving for a comfortable retirement, then not going out for an expensive dinner could be a high-value decision for you.
You’ll notice three parts to each of these statements: naming the value, defining what that value means for you and identifying the high-value activity that aligns for you.
Through the lens of high value, it’s so much easier to decide how to spend your time and what deserves your attention. You can rise above the expectations of others to decide for yourself what you value most. The high-value lens will point infallibly, like a compass, to the best investment of your precious resources that will align with and honor your unique values. This, my friends, is a recipe for success, fulfillment and happiness.
There’s a helpful flip-side to this equation. If you are spending your time, money or attention on things that don’t honor your values, then you are making low-value choices. If this sounds familiar, try applying the high-value lens to help you shift your thinking and your behavior.
It’s worth mentioning that the high-value lens is just as relevant in the workplace. Your ability to align your efforts and results with the organization’s values is critically important for your success. In other words, if you want to make an impact, get really clear on how your work supports the company’s values and stop wasting your time on low-value activities.
Coaching is a particularly effective way of understanding your values and how they show up in different areas of your life. Learn more about setting up a sample coaching session here.