“I value my family,” said Ken, when asked to identify what was most important to him. His hand passed over his eyes. “But my marriage is falling apart and I don’t know my son.”
Ken went on to justify his 70-hour work weeks, the need to play golf with clients on Saturdays, and his overwhelming fatigue that led to Sunday-morning-sleep-ins. “I work hard to provide for my wife and child,” he explained. But beyond the mortgage payments, upkeep on cars, and squirreling extra away in a college account, Ken explained any expendable income was tagged to buy a boat to entertain potential customers.
Ken spent little expendable income on his family and invested even less time. Honest reflection helped him understand he merely gave lip service to what he claimed he valued.
A Tangible Way to Test for Your Values
Because time and money are finite, they serve as an excellent test to determine what you truly value. Plus, everyone has some of both.
- Each person has 24 hours a day at his disposal. You choose how to invest it.
- No matter how large or small your income, finances are measured in concrete amounts.
How do you spend your time and your money? Give yourself a quick quiz to find out. Look at your calendar and look at your bank statement.
What’s Important to You – Really?
How you answer that question reveals what’s really important to you. As you work to identify your values, follow the twin trails of time and money in your life. They will show you on what you have consciously or unconsciously determined to be most significant.
But be warned. The truth at the end of those trails challenges us to change. You may find out you’re unwilling to face your true set of values.
Or like Ken, you may discover that your quiz makes you eager to give up Saturday golf games – in order to watch Little League games and eat pizza with a 7-year-old instead.
More About Your Core Values
Your Values, Part 1: Is It a Core Value or Simply a Preference?
