Article summary
What keeps me motivated every day is focusing on my values. I keep a list of values that are important to me and make decisions based on whether these actions would align with my values or not. These values give me inner strength and help me attract environments, jobs, material goods, and relationships that align with my values.
List of Values
I often meditate upon a list of values from an image that I found online. I enjoy that these values touch upon a variety of different feelings and priorities. Some moments, I find myself gravitating towards certain values like humor because I just want to laugh and have fun. At other moments, I might be focused on stability, and I want to buckle down and create a stable environment. I feel like all of these values have equal importance, depending upon the circumstance and situation.
Incorporating Values Into the Workday
I weave these values into my workday in many different situations. For instance, I practice persistence when I am learning a new technical concept I haven’t quite grasped yet. I value knowledge and growth when I am constantly learning new skills. Valuing freedom, I love the flexibility to occasionally work remotely. I also remember compassion when I consider all of the things that my co-workers have going on outside of our work lives, and I feel creative when I am building software. When I close my laptop, I am practicing balance by tending to my life outside of my job. I find an infinite amount of ways to reflect on how these values appear throughout my workday.
Often, I use this list of values as a change agent in my life. I ask myself what is currently serving me and what would benefit from shifting? Could I be more optimistic? Could I find more adventure in the day by simply choosing a different route to work? Or, could I be more curious and encourage myself to ask questions or read about something I don’t know about yet? Is there a way I could be of service to someone today that would be selfless and loving?
Atomic’s Values
One of the reasons I was drawn to Atomic is that they openly declare their set of values. Creating a fabric of values creates a shared language and expectations for how we want to act and be, which ultimately affects our well-being and the value we offer.
One of Atomic’s values that resonates the most with me is to think long-term. While we truly don’t know what might happen tomorrow, I enjoy having a structure and vision for what I want out of life. Thinking with this long-term perspective gets me in a mindset of taking risks, persevering through challenging moments, and consciously building an intentional reality.