7 Ways To Develop A Values-Driven Mindset (+ 10 Characteristics)
If you want to change your life for the better, you NEED to develop a values-driven mindset for success.
It requires deep introspection and a desire to be the best version of yourself even if it means challenging your current mindset and identifying your blindspots.
I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not an easy thing to do especially if you have gone through life with a goals-driven mindset but it’s so worth it.
As a Mindset and Productivity Coach for perfectionists, I often teach my clients about switching from living a goals-based life to a more values-based life and it all starts with a shift in their mindset.
In this blog post, I explain what a values-driven mindset is and how to actually develop one so that you can live a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
What is a values-driven mindset?
A values-driven mindset is based on the idea that your values drive your decisions, actions and thoughts. Having this mindset is essential if you want to be successful in your personal and professional life.
Your values are your foundational beliefs and principles that matter the most to you. You normally pick up your values from your family, life experiences, culture and the people you admire. For example, integrity, sustainability, community, education, kindness etc…
They help you decide HOW to show up in the world.
Having a valued driven mindset means you have a framework for making decisions and setting goals that are in alignment with your true self. This framework gives you focus and determination when working towards your goals and dealing with the obstacles that life throws at you.
In my opinion, living by your values means consistently acting with integrity and making decisions based on what you stand for even if it means you are standing alone.
Simply put, a values-driven mindset means you operate from a values-first mentality rather than a profit-first, efficiency-first, goal-first or people-pleasing mentality. You focus on doing the right thing.
10 characteristics of a person with a values-driven mindset
- Integrity: You do what you say you are going to do and consistently stick to your principles e.g. always telling the truth even when it’s hard
- Authenticity: being yourself and not pretending to be someone you’re not
- Conscientiousness: you pay attention to details and try your best in everything e.g. diligently working on your projects without rushing through it
- Visionary: you have big goals for the future and make plans to achieve them e.g. having a clear idea about the type of life you want to live and making decisions that bring you closer to that goal
- Good listener: you listen carefully to others and respect their opinions e.g. paying attention when your friend is talking and not interrupting or planning what you are going to say next
- Growth mindset: you believe you can improve by learning from your mistakes and trying again e.g. applying for more jobs after you failed a final stage job interview because you believe you can do better next time
- Courageous: you are brave and do the right thing even when it feels scary or intimidating e.g. standing up for your colleague who has been unfairly called out in a meeting
- Resilient: you don’t give up easily and keep going even when things are tough because you are determined to achieve your goals
- Mindful: you are aware of your thoughts, emotions, values and actions and always make an effort to ground yourself in the present moment e.g. taking a moment to think before reacting when you’re upset
- Accountable: you take responsibility for your actions and own up to your mistakes e.g. admitting you made an error in a report at work and correcting it
Why is it important to be driven by your core values?
Being values-driven is so important because it gives you the energy to be resilient and focused towards your goals and core principles in challenging times.
Instead of being an unthinking follower, it gives you the power to decide what’s right and wrong on your own terms without swaying towards the easiest or quickest path.
I strongly associate a values-driven mindset with the transformational leadership style because it is very focused on having a clear vision and an emotional connection to that vision.
Leaders who are values-driven tend to inspire change in their team and are skilled at moving forward with positivity and grit. They get things done. The right things done.
When you’re actions and decisions are guided by your values you can look back without regret and with a strong sense of self-respect because you know you did the best with the resources you had.
1. Identify your values
This is obviously the most important step when it comes to developing a values-driven mindset. Because honestly, how can you even start aligning your mindset with your values if you don’t know what those values are?
To find out what your values are you need to ask yourself some deep life questions and be truly honest in your responses. Don’t say the politically correct, socially acceptable, family-approved answer.
Answer what is real for you.
This step is great for improving your self-awareness
- What activities bring you the most joy in life?
- What qualities do you admire most in others?
- What issues or causes are you most passionate about?
- What do you spend most of your time thinking about or doing?
- If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would it be and why?
- What would you regret not doing, being, or having in your life?
- Think of a time you felt conflicted by a decision. What about the situation made you feel uneasy or compromised?
As you answer these questions, pay attention to the recurring themes. You can download the FREE Values Over Perfection workbook to help you identify your values from a list of 96!
In the meantime, here are some common values:
- Integrity
- Respect
- Family
- Growth
- Creativity
- Courage
- Community
- Faith
- Balance
- Adventure
Once you’ve identified your top 3-5 values, prioritise them. This will provide you with a framework for developing a values-driven mindset and setting future goals.
2. Define how you want to live by your values
Your mindset is everything. You need to have a very clear vision of what success looks like for you and how your values will shape your life.
I always recommend my clients do an ‘ideal day’ voice recording so that they can hear themselves describing their vision out loud.
It’s important that the recording covers each of the 5 senses (sight, touch, sound, taste, smell) and the 8 areas of life:
- Personal and Spiritual Growth
- Health and Fitness
- Friends and Family
- Romantic Relationships
- Career and Business
- Financial Health
- Fun and Recreation
- Physical Environment
Reptition and emotion are ESSENTIAL for shifting your mindset so make sure you take intentional time on this task. You can even create a values vision board or convert them into daily affirmations.
Having a clear vision keeps you motivated and aligned with your goals without feeling overwhelmed.
Try these journal prompts:
- What images or words would you include on a vision board that represents living by your values?
- What small action can you take today to live more in line with your values?
- How do you envision your life in 5 years if you live according to your values? Describe it in detail including the 5 senses, emotions and 8 areas of life.
- What legacy do you want to leave behind? How do your values shape that vision?
- List three actions you can take this week to better align your life with your core values
Related Post: 52 ESSENTIAL Journal Prompts For When You Feel Stuck In Life
3. Evaluate your current mindset
Okay so now you know what your values are and you have a clear vision for how you want to live your life.
You now need to evaluate your current mindset. Recognising where your mindset currently aligns or conflicts with your values helps you make the necessary adjustments to change your life.
There are many ways to do this activity but as always I strongly recommend you give journaling a go.
There is a reason why so many coaches, therapists, productivity gurus and successful people promote journaling. It’s not a fluffy pseudo-scientific activity it’s the Real Deal.
In fact, studies of shown that journaling can improve your mental and physical health by lowering your blood pressure, helping you process your emotions and increasing your productivity.
To build a successful journaling habit you need to start small and be consistent. You could try starting with writing one sentence a day it doesn’t have to be anything too complicated just writing about any reflections you’ve had about yourself.
Or you could do a weekly review – this is something that I highly recommend since I do it myself in my bullet journal.
If you want to try something a bit more educational, I recommend you use self-assessment tools such as personality quizzes like MBTI, The Big 5 and Enneagram.
These aren’t the be-all and end-all but they do provide you with a rough framework for understanding yourself.
For example, I really like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) because it has helped me understand my view of the world and gave me insight into how I can play up to my INFP strengths.
You can also get therapy or coaching if you realize you have some deep-rooted blindspots in your mindset and view of the world.
It’s a great way to get non-judgmental feedback and learn how to move forward with the right coping mechanisms.
Journal prompts to help you:
- In what ways does your current mindset align with your core values? In what ways does it not?
- What mindset shifts do you need to make to better align with your values?
- What feedback have you received from others about your behaviour and mindset? How does it reflect your values?
- What have you learned about yourself from self-assessment tools or coaching sessions? How can this information help you align more with your values?
- At the end of each day, write about how your actions and decisions reflected your values.
4. Learn from your mistakes
Using your past mistakes as learning opportunities is a great way to develop a values-driven mindset as well as a healthy growth mindset. Learning from your mistakes helps you grow and align yourself more closely with your values which increases your chance of achieving your goals and Vision.
Your feelings around your past mistakes are an amazing internal resource that you should use often to guide you in your future decision-making. For example, when you feel guilt or shame it’s your body’s way to tell you that something is not right and that you need to behave in a different way.
I truly believe that feelings sit in the body so ignoring that sinking feeling in your chest or the pit in your stomach will keep you going down a path that is not meant for you.
Making the active decision to check in with yourself and actually LEARN from your mistakes and not just give them lip service will push you further than you could have ever imagined.
Not only will it improve your life but you will gain respect from those around you because you will be seen as a person with integrity and strong values.
Journal prompts to help you learn from your mistakes
- List some mistakes you’ve made in the past year. What lessons did you learn from them?
- Are there any recurring themes in your mistakes? What do they reveal about areas where you can grow?
- Were any of your mistakes a result of not honouring your values? How can you avoid this in the future?
5. Set values-driven goals
Values-driven goals are basically goals that reflect your core values. Many of my clients get stuck in the cycle of chasing goal after goal without ever really reflecting on whether those goals are in alignment with the version of themselves they want to be.
Goals that are aligned with your values keep you motivated and focused without wasting your energy on things that are not important.
I always recommend my clients set SMARTER goals which is an adaptation of the traditional SMART goals framework.
The SMARTER goals framework requires goals to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Empowering and Reflective.
The additional two criteria are essential for ensuring your goals are in alignment with your values as they provide the vision and ability to check in with yourself.
- Specific: You need to clearly define what you want to achieve and ask yourself questions like “What exactly do I want to accomplish?”
- Measurable: Determine how you will measure your progress by setting criteria such as specific numbers or milestones
- Achievable: Ensure your goal is realistic and attainable given your current resources and constraints
- Relevant: Make sure your goal aligns with your broader life objectives and values and resonates with your personal aspirations
- Time-bound: Set a clear deadline for when you want to achieve your goal to create focus and urgency
- Empowering: Connect your goal to your ideal self by visualizing the positive changes and benefits that achieving this goal will bring
- Reflective: Regularly review your progress and make adjustments as needed to stay aligned with your values and objectives
Journal prompts for values-driven goal-setting
- Write a SMARTER goal that reflects one of your core values. How will achieving this goal enhance your life?
- Break down a large goal into smaller, manageable tasks. How does each task align with your values?
- Are your current goals aligned with your core values? If not, how can you adjust them?
- What daily actions can you take that will help you achieve your values-driven goals?
- Reflect on the progress you’ve made towards your goals. How does this progress reflect your commitment to your values?
6. Make decisions with confidence
A person who is values-driven can confidently make decisions quickly and efficiently because they know what they want and they know how they’re going to get it.
When you’re clear on your values it is easy to block out all of the noise and focus on what’s truly important which makes decision-making a breeze (in theory!).
To make decisions with confidence you need to use your values to evaluate your options.
For example, you could create a pros and cons list for each of your options and decide which options have the most amount of pros in alignment with your values or use it to rule out options that have the most amount of cons that go against your values.
The more you use your values to help you make decisions the more your confidence will increase and you’ll start to build a reputation as a consistent reliable leader.
You’ll be able to trust your gut because often your initial reaction reflects your values in its rawest form.
Decision-making journal prompts
- Think about a recent decision you made. How did your values influence your choice?
- If you’re feeling stuck making a decision, make a pros and cons list of your choices and use your values as an evaluation metric
- Write about a time when your initial instinct guided you to make the right decision. What values were you honouring?
- Reflect on a difficult decision you made. How did you ensure it was aligned with your values?
- What upcoming decisions do you need to make? How can you use your values to guide you confidently?
7. Practice mindfulness
Learning how to stay grounded in the face of uncertainty and stressful situations is a life skill that a values-driven professional must have.
Mindfulness is an amazing tool you can use to stay present and aware in your daily life as it helps you stay connected to your values and reduce your stress levels.
I recommend you spend a few minutes each day practising meditation through mindful breathing exercises.
You can also practice mindful journaling as a way to reflect on your values.
There are also other ways you can practice mindfulness such as mindful eating, mindful walking and mindful body scan.
Mindfulness journal prompts to help you
- After meditating ask yourself this – How did you feel after meditating today? Did it help you stay focused on your values?
- During a stressful moment today, did you practice mindful breathing? Why or why not?
- At the end of the day, write about how well your actions aligned with your values. What can you improve tomorrow?
- Describe a moment today when you were fully present. How did it reflect your values?
- Reflect on your week. How has practising mindfulness helped you stay connected to your values? What changes will you make for next week?
Are you a values-driven person?
A values-driven person is someone who knows WHAT they want and HOW they want to live their lives.
They have these common characteristics or traits: integrity, authenticity, conscientiousness, vision, good listening skills, growth mindset, courage, resilience, mindfulness and accountability.
If those words don’t describe you in the slightest there are some things you can do from identifying your values and auditing how you currently live your life so that you can make the necessary changes.
You don’t have to stay stuck repeating the same cycles. You can change your mindset and ultimately change your life.
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Related Posts:
- What Is The Difference Between Values And Goals – 7 Key Differences
- Why Perfectionists NEED To Live A Values-Based Life If They Want To Be Happy
- 13 famous inspirational quotes about values in life
- Importance of values in a relationship: Secrets of a happy life
- Valuing Professional And Personal Relationships For A Successful Life
- 8 Areas In Life To Set Goals With 100 Examples (FREE Workbook)
- 8 Simple Steps To Be Anti-Hustle Culture And Productive
