Written by: Tara Sutorius, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In my last article of 2021, I shared my perspective on the importance of aligning your personal core values with your most important decisions and choices. As we kick off 2022 (and many of us are not feeling the usual excitement of a fresh new start due to pandemic year3), I am slowing down my speed, recouping from COVID and choosing to streamline my priorities.
Tip: If you are struggling to figure out what that means for you, think back to your personal core values. Your mission critical priorities should match the personal core values that are most important to you.
Recall: What are values?
Values are like a fingerprint; they are unique to each person.
Values are a shorthand way of describing our motivations and what is important to us.
Values are the energetic drivers of our aspirations and intentions.
Positive values, often referred to as virtues, enable us to live authentically, foster connectivity, and contribute to the common good.
Values can come from our family of origin and/or develop as we evolve as humans.
Values do not have universal definitions. They are very personal.
In other words, our values are the things we say are most important to us; they are our personal expression of our most important decisions, choices, and priorities. By choosing to live in accordance with our values, we simplify our lives. We are more purposeful about our professional daily, monthly, and quarterly activities and more intentional about our personal choices. This is essential as we begin a new year (or month 13 of 2021 as some are calling it) where the world, organizations, families, and individuals all continue to struggle on every front due to the global pandemic.
Aligning core values with priorities allows us to focus on what is truly mission critical, both at home and at work. When clearly defined, your values will simplify your decision-making process and will create a simpler path forward; something we all need in this chaotic always-on world.
Most people have a between seven and ten values that are very important to them. In 2022, I am encouraging you to focus on just three core values. Part of successfully focusing on what’s mission critical versus nice-to-have is streamlining and simplifying choice-making, which transforms behaviours. When you boil your top three values down even further to the things that you prioritize above all else, you have your mission critical road map.
Five take-aways for focusing on mission critical activities in 2022:
Define your top three values Visit this link for assistance.
Start today. Align your top three values with every priority.
Always ask yourself “is this mission critical or a nice-to-have?”
Slow down. Focus on the essentials that drive your mission critical.
Apply this philosophy to home and work.
Outcomes:
A calmer existence in a chaotic world.
Incremental success driven by healthier choice making and not the bottom line.
Small values-driven steps compounding over time to big growth.
For more tips on how you can transform yourself, your teams, and your organizations to live a more values-driven life and career in alignment with what’s mission critical, contact: tara@coachsutorius.com
Tara Sutorius, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As a certified professional coach trained with Erickson International Coaching, Barrett Values Centre and Career Joy, as well as an accredited PCC-level coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF), Tara Sutorius specializes in helping individuals better understand their personal core values so they may live a more purpose-driven life in alignment with what is most important to them in their personal and professional lives.
Tara is also the Interim Vice President, Corporate Communications at Export Development Canada (EDC) and the founder of “Tara Sutorius Coaching and Wellness” – a coaching company offering compassionate, transformational and values-based personal leadership, career and wellness coaching. Working alongside senior leaders in both the private and public sector for over 20 years, Tara has a keen sense of what is required to be able to connect with one’s personal and professional leadership mission in order to effect meaningful change over the long-term and build greater resiliency both at home and at work.
What Tara loves most about coaching is helping guide individuals through powerful questioning and transformational conversations. Her coaching style is compassionate, action-oriented, motivational, connected and intuitive. She can help guide you to better align your values with your dream job, clarify your passions, set clear goals and take greater ownership of your career and overall wellness.
