Understand Your Personal Values And What Drives You

Whether or not you realize it, the decisions you make are influenced by what you value—the beliefs, attitudes, and ideas you think are important. These values shape the choices all of us make in our lives, and understanding more about them helps us make choices we can live with,

both for our careers and our personal lives. Identifying and understanding your own values is a first step toward understanding your current position and helping you make adjustments to achieve the balance you desire.

Examine the intrinsic values, or the things that provide you with inner satisfaction, such as working for a good cause or experiencing adventure, and the extrinsic values, such as your salary, job title, or level of authority at work. Factor in lifestyle values, too, such as living in a rural or urban setting, having time for spiritual or personal growth, spending time with family, or being active in your community.

Evaluate Your Values And Gaps

Look at the values you have identified as most important to you and then reflect on how you spend your time. Do you see any gaps? How have the values you ranked most important influenced your career choices and your life choices? Might you need to make changes to bring your work or your personal life more in line with what you value? Prioritize the multiple roles you perform so that you make decisions and set limits between the demands of work and your home life. To organize your life priorities.

Managing Your Priorities

Take two simple yet important steps to limit the demands of work and manage priorities. Understand the job and know the schedule. This can clarify and simplify the overwhelming list of things to do. The following suggestions are divided into two sections, for an employee and for a supervisor. Consider both and you will develop insight into the workplace environment and the work/life balance.