In November 2008, I wrote an article entitled “Why values are a key component for success”. This article highlighted the need to pay close attention to one’s values and the important role they play in one’s professional and personal life. Earlier that year, I took some time to identify my top ten values:
- Joy
- Harmonious Relationships
- Health and Wellness
- Financial Security
- Learning
- Challenge
- Making a Difference
- Creativity
- Being the Best
- Advancement
Understanding the ordering of at least the first five values is important to share:
- If I am not happy, nothing else really matters.
- I ultimately need to be okay being alone, but it is not very fulfilling.
- I can and should be happy without necessarily being healthy.
- Financial security means freedom to choose.
- Learning new things allows me to grow continuously.
Other important values include:
- Connectivity
- Control
- Emotional Expression
- Family
- Pride in Work
- Self-Reliance
As it relates to my career, I’ve come up with five key criterion that I think will serve as a key barometer for future roles to come. These are, in essence, my career values:
- Interpersonal: I want a job that I feel comfortable working with other associates / management.
- Responsibility and Balance: I want a job where I have a lot of responsibility but does not require a significant amount of overtime.
- Alignment and Satisfaction: I want a job that is aligned with my career goals and interests.
- Location: I want a job that is relatively close to where I live.
- Financial: I want a job that pays me well and/or more than I am today.
You’ll notice that I did not list them by number. Before doing so, it’s important to look at some past history to determine the ordering that makes the most sense for me at this time in my life: