by Peggy Sullivan, founder of SheCAN! and author “Happiness is Your Responsibility“
Your time is your most precious commodity. We can make magnificent use of our time, savor it, or squander it. Time management is a billion-dollar industry that has us searching for the magic bullet to get more done in less time. Countless programs help us manage time, yet being time poor is a common complaint.
Finding someone who is not always busy is like finding a needle in a haystack. We have work, our never-ending to-do lists, obligations, friends, families, personal goals, exercise, grocery shopping, parenting, school, housework, sports, and I am surely forgetting something. The list goes on and on. We are full but not necessarily fulfilled.
Nevertheless, it is so easy to get caught in busyness. It feels good to get stuff done. However, being busy has undesirable side effects like feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. These sensations are the catalyst for poor mental and physical health and the deterioration of our relationships because we have no time for them. Is this really what we want? We all aspire to be happy, healthy, and successful.
But what is the recipe to achieve this?
The process that repeatedly works for me is knowing my core values and aligning everything in my life with them. I call it Value-Driven Management.
What is Value-Driven Management?
Values-Driven Management is the process of identifying and integrating what is important to you into your daily life. Essentially, it’s a roadmap to living and working based on your core values.
When your lifestyle matches your values, life is good. When your lifestyle does not match your values, life is unhappy. You have a feeling something important is missing. Living your life without a values architecture is like being on the treadmill to “the land of getting it done” but sacrificing the quality of life.
Why Value Management Works
There are two unarguable reasons why Values Management works. The first is obvious, we are doing the things that we value and give us joy. The second reason is less obvious. We get some control back in our lives. A global pandemic, racial riots, the spread of gun violence, inflation, and a recession. We have been caught in a cycle of watching so much in our lives that is out of our control, which makes us feel powerless. It is time to take some control back. Create our oasis and focus on what we value. Instead of feeling the squeeze of trying to get more in, Values Management focuses on the core things we need and want in life. When you get to focus on what you value, you feel satisfied and energized.
During times of uncertainty, the feeling of loss of control is real. When so much is out of our control, it is refreshing and empowering to take back some control. You own your values. While finding your core values… the vital ones that make your life hum are not always easy or quick, it’s essential to creating your happiness. When you truly unlock your values and incorporate them not your life, you take back the much-needed control we have all lost.
Your Values
What do you value? Do you know the core ideals that are most meaningful in your life? Can you sit down and articulate them? Many people cannot, and then they wonder why life comes up short.
Here is an example of “My ‘Value-Most’ List.”
- Conquering Challenge for Growth; A love of learning and doing very hard things.
- Humor, Laughter, and Indulging my Inner Child; Being carefree and igniting my endorphins.
- Energy Management: Optimizing my energy through exercise, diet, plenty of sleep, and taking downtime to recharge
- Helping People; Whatever they need, want, or would make life easier or better.
- Simplicity; Getting down to the basics.
- Imperfection: Being ok when things get messy. Letting go of the concept of “perfect is better, attainable, and sustainable.”
- Mentoring; Nourishing greatness.
- Loving; Family, friends, and fur babies.
Being busy does not mean you are living a life you are excited about. For me being busy is a four-letter word that I have come to consider “as unfavorable.” It is no longer a badge of honor but a way of life that is not satisfying. When I think of the quality of life, the good stuff, I know Values-Driven Management is a process that gets me there.
Peggy Sullivan is a women’s leadership speaker, mindset expert, and founder of the nonprofit organization, SheCAN!. She is also the author of the book, “Happiness is Your Responsibility“. Peggy is a strong advocate for utilizing the power of happiness to achieve personal success, professional growth, and increased health & wellness.
