Are You Living A Happiness Driven Life?: Here's Why You Should Stop That Right Now

I have a question for you: are you living a happiness driven life or a value driven life?

If you notice you're living a happiness driven life and it's not working, here's how to get in touch with your values.

The first step in living a value-driven life is discovering what your values are. Remember, these values may change throughout your life and what you commit to today can always change. Values are not meant to serve as rules or directives. They are guideposts that help you make decisions and feel more fulfilled.

First, think about your values in each of these 4 domains of life - work/education, relationships, personal growth and health, and leisure. Not everyone has the same values and there is no “right” answer. In each of these columns, ask yourself:

  • What’s important?

  • What do I care about?

  • What would I like to work towards?

  • What values were instilled in me in my culture and my family? Are those values important to me as an individual today?

Your value will not be a specific goal. Instead, it is the way you would like to live your life. For example, maybe your goal is to spend at least one night a week with your spouse. Being an attentive and interested spouse would be the underlying value and you would embody that value by spending time with your spouse.

If you have trouble coming up with values, think about some of the goals and behaviors that you’d like to achieve and what value might be prompting that. There are also several great value lists online that will help you start thinking about your personal values.

Next, you can use the “Bull’s Eye” exercise to help you identify how close you are to living in accordance with your values. The “Bull’s Eye” is a values-clarification exercise designed by Swedish ACT therapist Tobias Lundgren. The dartboard is divided into those four important domains of life: work/education, leisure, relationships and personal growth/health.

Make an X in each area of the board to represent where you stand in relation to that value today. Then, reflect on where you’d like to be and how you can get there.

It’s a good idea to consistently check in with your values and how you’re living. Your values are going to change as you age and as your life shifts. It’s ok to make adjustments as you go. When you’re living in line with your values, things will be much more fulfilling and they will make sense. It won’t always feel “good,” but you’ll know that you are in alignment with who you want to be.

As always, I really appreciate you reading. If you're looking for more content like this, you can always check out my store or find me on Instagram and Twitter.

Whitney
@sitwithwhit

PS. 
Here's what I'm reading. And if you live in Florida, you can find out more about working with me, here.

Whitney Goodman