Your Needs and Values

It’s interesting how these words keep coming into my life.  A friend shared an article about living a values focused life and in the coaching program I’m in, we’ve talked about values and needs – both for ourselves as well as for our clients.  Each student was given slips of paper with words on them and we chose 3-4 words (some say values are 6-10) to identify our values and then again for our needs.

We all know that “needs” are things we can’t live without, yet in some ways it’s more than that.  These are also our personal principles and priorities – the things we need to make sure life is working for us.  These are the values and desires of what matters most to us and they help to create a meaningful life.  As you will see, this is also beyond the basic elements to keep us alive, things that we all need, and is more about personally what our individual needs are – those things that if we didn’t have, there would be a hole.

These are 4 that I’ve identified for my needs: introspection, nature, connection, and self-worth.

What are your needs?

Then we look at our values.  These are things that are your personal qualities or passions.  What is important as you live each day?  What is integral to who you are at your core?  This is a reflection of what matters as you live your life and who you really are.   These are often things that we cherish both in ourselves as well as others, when someone else shares or expresses the same value.

These are 5 that I’ve identified for my values: accountability (self), honesty, creativity, tolerance, and knowledge.

What are your values?

If your needs are not getting met, it can be a challenge to lead that a life that is fulfilling and meaningful for yourself.  These are things that you make sure are part of your life – and the first step to living a life that works for you.  Once you identify your needs, you can then integrate them into your life.

Once you are getting your needs met, you then need to focus on your values.  Our values are shaped by all of our cumulative life experiences and are our compass for directing our choices.

In general terms, when we try to develop new habits and make changes to our life, it can be challenging.  We might know what we need to do to get where we want to go – yet that doesn’t mean it just happens.  How do your goals relate to your needs and values?  When we set goals and make decisions based on our values, it’s more satisfying to accomplish them.

You are more than your job, your home, your clutter, your procrastination, your health, etcetera.  Who are you down at your core?  These are the pieces to remember as life happens – your needs and values.