Who are you and what are your Core Values?

Have you ever stopped to think about this, who you are and where your beliefs come from? Your core values make you who you are, if your decisions and future path align with your values, then you are more likely to feel fulfilled and happy in life.

Doing this is all part of your self-development, which in turn, is about broadening yourself. During developmental phases, you get to trail and test out new things. These don’t have to be perfect. or might even lead you to realise you hate something you thought you would love, but this playtime gives you the opportunity to try stuff out and figure stuff out because of it.

When reflecting on life’s choices, or the direction of travel you’re heading in, thinking in macro perspective is not useful. Broad brush strokes will not provide the answers to anything we need specific help with. We need to focus IN, go micro, ask specific questions, and provide ourselves with detailed, explicit answers.

A good question to ask ourselves is WHO OR WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GROW INTO? Life is not static, and our dreams, desires, goals, and ambitions constantly change as we grow older. This question can help us identify our direction of growth.

In a few moments you will close your eyes for some positive visualisation. Imagine the dates on a calendar flying away. You’ve worked through all your assessments, you’ve completed all the work, you’ve graduated. The calendar keeps moving on…. You’ve moved away or stayed in Manchester, you’ve had new relationships or built on the ones you already have, you go to parties or have lovely holidays…. Then the date is one year from graduation.

Put yourself into a positive mindset for this visualisation. Imagine only positive, successful outcomes. Even if you feel this is not a realistic possibility, imagine yourself in a situation where only good, positive, successful outcomes happen. Now close your eyes and spend 5 minutes visualising your future self in the most wonderful, joyful, and positive situations for yourself.

·       Where are you?

·       What do you look like?

·       What are you doing?

·       How are you working?

·       What is your financial situation?

·       Who are you working with?

·       What are you producing?

·       Who is consuming it?

Values Audit

To become an authentic practitioner, it’s useful to take some time to vision plan how your practice reflects you and your values, your skills, your enthusiasm and passion.

• Beliefs are: something that underpins your actions and direction in life (but can change with experience, energy, attitude)
• Values: something precious that you hold very dear and are usually fundamental to who you are as a person.

The following is a difficult exercise to do if your confidence is at rock bottom so be kind to yourself.

Using the worksheets below as starting points for the type of skills and values you might have, make your own list of each. Then, categorise from the list of Values suggested what is Always/Sometimes/Rarely/Never important to you with regard to your career/personal life (whichever aspect you are examining).

Be honest and truthful – you may feel that some Values have more ‘moral’ value than others but this exercise is for you only and describes you only. No judgement.