Have you ever wondered why people behave in a certain way, or make decisions in a particular style? What makes us so unique such that it is so easy for our friends, family or colleagues to identify or even predict our actions? I guess that one way of explaining this would be that each individual is defined by his personal value system which also influences how successful we can become!
A simple definition of personal values would be the convictions regarding what we believe is important and desirable for ourselves. Every person has their own core set of personal values that guide their decisions which makes each of us different and distinctive from other people. They represent our highest priorities and subconsciously guides us in all our behavior towards events, decisions, choices and action in our daily lives.
Here is an example of personal values that I have in no particular order:
* Time Freedom
* Personal Growth
* Discovery
* Financial Freedom
* Independence
* Security
* Pleasure
* Adventure
* Challenge
* Ambition
As you can see, as our values guide us in all our decisions, our success is largely dependent on the set of core personal values that we have. However, it is not just the personal values we possess that are important but the order and priority that we have for these values are just as important as well. As you can see from my own example, some of these values can often be in conflict with each other. When trying to decide whether I should watch some TV or read a self-help book, if my value of pleasure takes precedence over that of personal growth, I would decide to waste my time watching some senseless TV instead of spending it more wisely to learn something new.
So in order to become successful, we should first start by becoming self-aware of our core personal values. By learning about what is important to us, we can then consciously strategize, prioritize, change and improve our value systems so that it facilitates and assists us in achieving our dreams instead of sabotaging it.
Therefore, start now to learn more about yourselves by listing down your personal values, and make an effort to choose the values that are most impactful to your success and eliminate those that are detrimental to it.
Related Articles
Who Is Deciding How You Will React To Your Feelings?
By: John Halderman | 12/11/2005 | Motivational
Are you in control of your reactions to your feelings? Are you tired of having anger, anxiety and jealousy a part of your life? You can change your reactions to your feelings and change what is a part of your life experience. You can alter your automatic
7 Steps to Becoming Extremely Wealthy
By: Keji Giwa | 23/02/2007 | Self Improvement
Wisdom is better than wealth and you should always seek wisdom before you think of acquiring wealth. Why do some people win the lottery and lose it all in less than a year? They were given the money but they were not taught how to keep, grow and use it. Money is a tool and a tool must have a purpose. Without purpose, abuse becomes the norm. Wisdom however, is knowing what to do when you don't know what to do. Read on.
How to Drive yourself to Achieve Your Goals
By: Shawn Lim | 20/06/2008 | Goal Setting
If you are reading this right now, I know that you have set your goals and you want to achieve it. The main problem that stops most people from achieving their goals is the lack of action. Most people will procrastinate, they set their goals, but they never really take any real solid action about them.
You Cannot Achieve Financial Success if You Don’t Have This
By: Shawn Lim | 04/07/2008 | Self Help
The number one reason you are reading this article only means that you are looking for a better life, you want to achieve financial freedom and never to face any frustration about money again. Do you believe that there is a set of formula or steps that you can follow in order to achieve it? To put it in a simple word, yes, there is a formula or steps that you can follow to achieve the financial results you want in life.
Time Management Success Tips for the Internet Home Based Business
By: Ranju Kumar | 10/08/2008 | Business Opportunities
There are several time management success tips for the internet home based business. If you want to succeed in your work from home business, it is absolutely essential that you know the secrets that are necessary when it comes to successfully managing your time.
Who Is Deciding How You React To Your Feelings?
By: John Halderman | 02/02/2006 | Advice
Are you subject to automatic reactions that are less than desirable? Stop suffering from negative, debilitating, or destructive thoughts and behavior. Change your reactions change your life. Renew your life; choose to include more of what you want.
Success - 2 Tips to Help you Achieve your Dreams
By: Kelly Price | 11/07/2007 | Motivational
The fact is anyone can achieve success however many people don’t, simply because they fall at the first hurdle which we are going to discuss in this article. The trait we are going to look at is the one that all success is built but if you do not know how to channel it you will never achieve success.
How to Take Charge on Your Goals
By: Shawn Lim | 20/06/2008 | Goal Setting
Almost everyone who desire for success set goals. However, most of them still are not achieving what they want. Why is this so? This is simply because they get excited, set their goals, and take a few actions in the beginning, but forget about their goals after a few days. This happens so regularly to most people.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Self Help Articles
Handling Life's Challenges, Failures, and Setbacks by Learning From Them
By: Dr. Mario Barrett | 21/08/2008
Everyone fails from time to time, but those that win in life often do so, by learning from these very same failures.
Persuasive Speech Topics: 3 Hot Tips on Choosing Your Persuasive Speech Topics
By: Michael Lee | 20/08/2008
You may think that choosing persuasive speech topics is a piece of cake. But know that whatever you choose can greatly affect how your article is going to turn out. The wrong topic can backfire on you and all your hard work.
Deception Detection Techniques: How to Spot Lies With Deception Detection Techniques
By: Michael Lee | 20/08/2008
Deception detection techniques will help you determine whether a person is telling the truth or making something up. And while most of these methods rest on non-verbal cues, there are some verbal indicators you can look out for.
Discover How To Manage Your Time In 3 Easy Steps
By: Maya Mah | 20/08/2008
There must be a reason why some people can just handle all the tasks that are thrown at them. They can handle the urgent items on their to do lists, the unexpected project changes that show up and even their personal commitments.
The reason these people can easily succeed in what...
What About Those Once Important Dreams?
By: David Schaefer | 20/08/2008
Over time our belief that anything is possible is often whittled away and we seem to accept a diluted version of what we had hoped to achieve. Discover how to recapture the luster of diminished dreams.
Procrastination is an Enemy of Success
By: David Schaefer | 20/08/2008
When your intention is to achieve a goal, procrastination will only hinder or possibly sabotage your efforts. While procrastination may seem like a simple behavior, it can be complex. See if you are a procrastinator.
Optimistic or Pessimistic – it is a Defining Choice
By: David Schaefer | 20/08/2008
Whether your outlook is of optimism or pessimism, the choice is ultimately yours. Since thoughts, expectations, and beliefs influence behavior, it is important to understand just how crucial your thinking is to the results you experience.
Failure is an Important Element of Success
By: David Schaefer | 20/08/2008
Successful people often consider failure as a significant learning process on the way to achieving desired results. Find out why failure should be embraced while pursuing a goal.
More from Ryan Kiew
How to Create Your Own Luck
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | Self Help
Are you feeling down on your luck, and nothing seems to be going good for you? Are you waiting for opportunities to knock, but fortune always seem to elude you? Stop fretting on your misfortune, shake off those negative thoughts and create your own luck!
Discover Your Personality Type to Help You Make Better Choices
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | Self Help
Have you ever wondered why people behave differently in the same situations? Is there someone whom you absolutely cannot click with no matter how hard you try and will most definitely get into an argument with if you are put into a project together? Why does some people seem more outgoing, likable and more social than others while some others simply hates socializing? How can some people go for a holiday spontaneously while some others needs months and months just to decide where to go, and then
Make Use of Gratitude to Attract What You Want
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | NLP Hypnosis
We should make gratitude our attitude in order to attract more positivity into our life. By giving thanks, we set ourselves in an upbeat mood and can therefore become more constructive in our thoughts and actions. This helps to draw our dreams, goals and success closer to us.
What are True Entrepreneurs Made Of?
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | Entrepreneurship
Does firing your boss and starting your own business equate to entrepreneurship? Or does it just mean that the status quo has just changed from you being an employee to you being "self-employed"?
Are You Feeling Stressed Out and Unhappy?
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | Stress Management
Do you find it very hard to wake up every morning and wish you could stay in bed longer so that you do not need to face another day of problems? Do you dread the prospect of going to work because your job seems to have no meaning other than providing you with cash? Are you starting to feel miserable because nothing you do seems to be working out right for you? What does it take to find happiness then?
How Earning Big Bucks Doesn't Mean You are Rich!
By: Ryan Kiew | 20/05/2008 | Career Management
What does success really mean to you? Is it solely defined by the amount of money you earn or the number of big ticket items such as a shiny new sports car or wide screen plasma tv? If the above is what you really think success really means, I suggest you take a reality check and reexamine your definition again!
Choose Your Path Wisely, Else End Up in Regret!
By: Ryan Kiew | 17/05/2008 | Career Management
Are you in an empty pursuit of other people's goals? Choose your path carefully, as it determines the chances of you successfully reaching your end goal, a destination of your own choice.
Don't Stop Working, Retirement Means Death!
By: Ryan Kiew | 17/05/2008 | Career Management
According Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, a Singapore elder statesman who turns 85 this year at a recent silver industry conference, the secret to his longevity is attributed to his active life and the fact that he has never stopped working. In his own words, "We got to educate those about to retire: Don't retire, work. Retirement means death.
Self Improvement 
