#31DayReset Day 5: Envision Your Values in Action

This post is Day 5 of the 2012 edition of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge. Learn more and sign up here.

Yesterday, you identified your values and narrowed them down to a list of 10 of the most important ones. Today, we’re going to take that exercise a step further by completing the second task in developing a personal mission statement over the next few days: envisioning your values in action. We all know that actions speak louder than words. It’s one thing to say what you care about, but much harder to walk your talk. Today’s exercise involves two parts to help you dig deeper in thinking about how you can incorporate your values into your daily life. Estimated Time to Complete: 60-90 minutes

Part 1: Am I Currently Living Out My Values?

Now that you’re clear on what you really care about, you want to compare your values to how you’re currently living your life. For each value that you identified in your “Reset 10″, rate yourself from 1-10 on how you feel you’re acting out that particular value in your life. Be honest with yourself – it’s the only way to be able to improve upon the life you’re living now to the life you want to be living in the future!

Part 2: What Do My Values Look Like in Action?

For each value that you identified in your “Reset 10,″ list out at least three actions that you currently take or that you should be taking in order to honor and fulfill that value in your life. What kinds of things would you be doing if you were living in full accordance with your values? What would it really look like for you to be able to rate yourself as a “10″ on how you live out all your values? (The two worksheets for this exercise in the Reset Workbook may assist you.) Take Action and Reflect: When you’re done, please share your “values in action″ with us in the comments! Feel free to share Part 1 or 2 or both. Were there any “aha” moments you experienced as you completed this exercise? If you blogged about today’s assignment, please post the link in the comments so we can read it!

Want All the 31 Day Reset Exercises in One Place?

The Reset Workbook contains all 31 daily assignments in one place as well as 28 printable worksheets to supplement the material and help you complete the daily exercises. The workbook is 60 pages long and comes in an electronic, ebook format. For those who may wish to go at their own pace, this workbook allows you to have all the assignments at your fingertips in addition to the opportunity to connect with others who are doing the 31 Day Reset program here on the blog. There are also a few bonuses, like the full version of the Life Mapping Workbook with a video training! Buy the workbook here.
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33 comments

  1. What an interesting and motivating exercise. Really forcing yourself to think about your values, how you are honestly living your life based on these values, and breaking down what you want them to actually look like puts you on a roller coaster of emotions. I think the biggest thing is setting a realistic plan for putting these values in action is the first step. I know that I normally try to take on everything all at once and I fail because I put too much on my plate. I think I am going to pick 1-2 values at a time and work on those steps diligently. Or maybe pick 1 thing from each list to focus on. I’m not sure but I’m glad that I at least I know have then on paper to refer to.

    The list was super long so I made it a public Google Doc for others to look at. Who knows maybe this list will inspire me to create a blog to share my journey. Enjoy!

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/15FmOS1RAX9XztCGlgMZky5qeOSAlJhuoxSlsK5y59Lo/edit

  3. Core values and ways to live them fully 

    YES value – saying yes to life, yes to adventures and opportunities 
        -Being open to things that come into my life esp things that I’m resistant to
        -Get passport updated for kids
        -Being mindfull and staying in the moment
    HEALTH Maverick – nutrition conscious, exercise, relaxation techniques (yoga, meditation, etc), life balance
        -Eating 60/40 raw, juicing daily
        -yoga 6 times a week
        -remember that most things don’t need the amount of energy I put into them
    RISK Taker – Going after dreams, living life fully
        -Doing work that I fully love and that is challenging
        -Staying with dream when the journey/progress gets hard
        -Savoring the small stuff
        -Knowing what you really don’t want to live without and what is just a habit
    Generous – Share of self and resources, understand that we are all connected and willing to help others 
        -Share my knowledge with others
        -Blog
        -volunteer work with women or children
    HUMAN Value – Fully enjoying your full messy life. Willingness to accept all of their flaws and strengths
        -Stop sweating everything
        -journal daily one thing you are grateful for
        -stop the love-hate relationship with your body
    SPIRIT – Inspiring, radiates the divine spirit in everything they do and touch
        -Stand openly in your power. Being you allows others to be themselves
        -Surround yourself with others who know their power
        -Keep knowing your power as a descendant of survivors and listen to their spirit

    How am I currently doing with these values (rating 1-10) 
    Yes value – 5
    Health value -7
    Risk taker – 5
    Generous – 7
    Human value – 7
    Spirit value – 5

  4. Ok, So I needed help trying to figure out how to put my Values in Action, but I think I did ok. Here they are:

    1. LOVE: 8: Love myself daily; be open to receive love from others, especially a man that wants to love me; do all things in love.
    2. SPIRITUALITY: 5: Meditate day and night; attend houses of worship to fellowship with like-minded people; be one with nature more, because that’s where God is.
    3. FAMILY: 8: Let go of past pain and hurt; spend time with them more often; pray for them daily.
    4. ACTING: 1: Figure out ways to become an actor; make steps towards acting; don’t stop trying.
    5. HAPPINESS: 2: Be happy; do what makes me happy; have fun with this life.
    6. FINANCIAL SECURITY: 1: Create a financial game plan; save money for college for my child; save money for my retirement
    7. INTEGRITY: 9: Continue to be true to myself and my family and friends; always do the Right thing; uphold truthfulness and honesty.
    8. TRAVEL: 1: Make a plan to see the world; travel somewhere out of the country every year; make this a priority.
    9. HUMANITY: 8: Care for my fellow man; engage in work that benefits humanity; encourage others to do the same.
    10. FAME: 1: Become famous through my acting and civic engagement; use my fame to do good things for humanity; be a blessings to others.

  6. I can see that this 31 day reset is going tp require a lot of soul searching. I am very private so i am really taking a huge leap in sharing this. But here it is.
    1.Spirituality 4- read scriptures and meditate daily, congregate with other believers more, get a better understanding
    of my own spiritual beliefs.
    2.Family and friends 8-spend quality time with my children, being open to having new friends, spending quality time with my friends
    3.healthy lifestyle 4- exercise 3 times a week, cook and eat healthy meals, having an organized, clean home
    4. Self sufficiency 5- grow my business, save money, spendoney wisely and not on a whim.
    5. Love (self and others) 5 – volunteer, connect with others with similar intetests, acknowledge beauty within and around me, be truthful at all times.

    6. Have fun, enjoy life 4- travel, enjoy the moment, do new things and go to different places ( local and far)
    7. Healthy relationships 8- don’t judge others, no mindless gossip and chatter, have mutually gratifying relationships that promote positive thinking and inner strength.
    8. Culture 2- stay involved with community, visit museums, seminars, concerts and events that speak to the african american experience. Promote positive images of us and discourage negative images, words and acts against us.
    9. Marriage10 -continue to
    communicate, trust and show love
    10.education8 -share what i know, don’t hoard information. Continue to learn about my interests and encourage others to do the same.

  7. I got off track with my 31 day reset. So here goes…..

    Rate Your Values
    1. Spirituality – 2
    2. Family – 5
    3. Financial Security – 0
    4. Career – 4
    5. Integrity – 9
    6. Friendships – 9
    7. Healthy Lifestyle – 5
    8. Love – 0
    9. Education – 5
    10. Giving Back/Charity – 6

    1. Spirituality – 1. Pray each morning/night, chant regularly 2. Go to church regularly. 3. Act with love.
    2. Family – 1. Work on having a better relationship with my oldest son. 2. Let go of the past and past mistakes and act with an open heart and mind. 3. Work creating activities with my children.
    3. Financial Security – 1. Put a considerable amount of my income towards savings. 2. Create a financial game plan. 3. Shop a little less.
    4. Career – 1. Find a new full time job in a field that interests me. 2. Take advantage of making part time money doing something I enjoy. 3. Continue looking for the right opportunity.
    5. Integrity – 1. Continue being honest with myself and others. 2. Always do the right thing. 3. Be up front about my past and be willing to accept people’s opinions about it.
    6. Friendships- 1. Continue to give 1005 of my true self to my friends. 2. Be more willing to work at friendships that are more difficult to maintain due to distance and occasional conflicts. 3. Be open to making new friends.
    7. Healthy Lifestyle – 1. Work out at least three to five times a week. 2. Cook more 3. Paint and sketch more to de-stress.
    8. Love – 1. Tell myself how much I love myself daily. 2. Don’t rush into another relationship. 3. Do everything in love.
    9. Education – 1. Finish my degree. 2. Never stop p taking classes and learning new things. 3. Stop being ashamed that I didn’t finish school. Stop letting it define me.
    10. 10. Giving Back/Charity – 1. Find two local charities to give to. 2. Give more of my time to charity as well as money. 3. Get my children involved in giving back as well.

  8. Very eye opening activity:

    Relationships (4)- Taking the time to speak/spend time with all immediate family once a week, spend time with close friends (having house gatherings)/incorporating new friends of same interest, and getting out there dating more.
    Respect (3)-Respecting myself by not giving out to much of me to underserved ppl, earning others respect
    Financial Stability (3)-Pay off debt/save, no longer using credit, only purchasing what I truly need and utilizing coupons more.
    Self-love (3)- doing special things for myself (massages/nails/pedi), having positive ppl in my life only, meditating, write down daily thoughts/feelings
    Travel (6)- travel more to places never been, stick to my out of the country once a year, find new travel partners (not always go with same ppl)
    Physical Health (4)- exercise regularly, eat better
    Baking (4)- try new recipes, take classes, bake weekly
    Faith (4)-attend hall regularly, trusting that good things will happen with patience, pray more and believe god and his plans
    Wisdom (4)- read more, find a positive mentor, change the channel from reality garbage to more informative television (CNN, discover, HGTV, history)
    Happiness (5)-appreciate all the great things I already have, focus on positive, smile and laugh constantly, participant in activities outside of my norm, and increase the other 9 items scores and that will bring my happiness to a higher score

  9. Hello all! This is an eye opening lesson….I’m still writing! But its OK – I can take my time, and it’s great to get these things out of my head and onto something concrete where I can do something with it. Just wanted to check in with everyone, will be back when I’m finished. Keep up the good work, ladies!

  10. My List of values:

    Financial Stability – 4 -Save/Pay bills on time/Coupon for savings
    Family -6 – spend more time with family/build myself to foster a great future family/be patient
    Being Healthy- 6 – work out/eat clean/start juicing
    Faith- 5 – go to church more/pray more/meditate
    Legacy-5 -work on my websites/go for dream job/be proactive
    Travel-2 -get passport/save for trips/find discount pricing on vacays
    Integrity-8-mean what i say/stand up for what is right/be firm and wise in decisions
    De-stressing/Me Time-7-massages often/no cable tv in bedroom/take “mental health days” off work
    Happiness -7-see friends more often/fly home more often/go out more
    Laughter-9-be more social/have events at my apartment/blog again
    Read my latest blog post…Taking another Break

    • I just resumed my church attendance last Sunday because, for the last eleven months, I worked on Sundays. The weekly cognitive dissonance was strong enough for me to get that changed around, and when I got the opportunity, I seized it. That’s how important faith/spiritual development is to me.

  11. Pingback: My Precious | KiWi's Joy

  12. This excercise helped me to acknowledge and accept that I can’t get where I’m going without eliminating wasted time and energy into things that don’t really matter.

    I realize that while I am making strides in the areas that matter to me, I’m not going to get where I want to be without making some needed changes.
    Read my latest blog post…Getting it together

  13. Happiness- 6 making an effort to do things I like(fun stuff and not work so much)/ focusing on my arts/ not be afraid to do what I like no matter wgat people feel about it

    Poetry and its purpose-6 writing/ picking up my book when I dont have the energy to/ performing

    My loved ones- 5 talk!/ not be afraid of expressing how I feel/ not being afraid of doing things out of the”norm”

    Loving myself- 5 trusting myself/ embrace all of me/ be more confident

    Growth-7 discussing how to grow/ believing in my growth/ growing

    Truly living (doing what I love)- 4 doing what makes me happy no matter how people will judge it/ taking risks/ live for today

    Love- 7 trusting/ nit being afraid/ loving myself

    Caring for my family-4 caring for my family/ not being afraid to be affectionate/ being comfortable in my skin

    My arts,5 doing them!/ taking leaps/ believing

    Being true to myself-4 trusting in myself/ putting myself first/loving myself

    This exercise made me a little sad becayse it opened my eyes to how im living. It also opened my eyes to the trruth that I need to love myself more before I can really make improvements in other areas.

  14. Here are a few of the things that stood out to me that I need to be doing more of in order to raise my numbers for the things I value in life.

    I need to make sure that I am showing my love to others – this includes sharing more of my thoughts with people, showing more affection to people, and being more honest and open.
    I need to be sure that I am showing kindness and teaching students more than just the curriculum so that I feel that I am making a difference to the students I teach and the colleagues I work with.
    I need to make sure that I smile more and think outside of myself so that people have a good impression of me besides my sarcasm and my wit.
    Read my latest blog post…Minimizing, but I love my skinny jeans…

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  19. Ouch! The scores from part 1 were very low and that was eye-opening. I mean these are the things that I to care about the most. I was down for too long and jumped right in for part 2 and it redeemed me with a plan of action. :-)

  21. i’m delayed but one of my values is independence – but had a thought that maybe its the wrong thing to value and has stopped me for achieving other things that i want or has been getting in the way of some of my other values (namely love).

    • ahhh yes, that womanly independence that we love. I know what you mean. It took me YEARS! to grasp the fact that independent and dominant were not one in the same. There is nothing more attractive to a man than a submissive independent woman. Once I got that downpat. . .the wedding bells rang. :)
      Read my latest blog post…Day 8

  22. Pingback: #31DayReset Day 5: Envision Your Values In Action « Love Bran

  24. Scoring myself demonstrates that for the most part, I am failing miserably at my reset 10. It motivates me to want to work harder

    Reset 10-Rate and put in action

    relationship with God–7/set aside time for God/pray more often/read my Bible more
    husband–5/set aside time for my husband/listen/be more supportive
    children–7/set aside time for each child/plan activities for us all/support them
    fitness–2/set aside time to workout/eat more responsibly/set realistic attainable goals
    health–6/get fit/eat more responsibly/
    morality–9/maintain the Bible as my source for morality/demonstrate good morals and ethics/be an ethical role model
    time management–2/set time and stick to it/complete tasks/create a schedule
    integrity–8/say what I mean and mean what I say/know when to back down and when to speak up/don’t overextend myself/learn to say no
    cleanliness–7/keep the house clean/create a schedule and stick to it
    financial security–1/continue to pay bills on time and in full/save/save/save
    Read my latest blog post…Day 5

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  27. By ignoring my values it’s almost like I have been living without a purpose. And I wondered why I haven’t been a happy black woman. Yesterday’s article about ” No Can’t” really helped me with today’s list. I have struggled to bring life to my values because I limited myself in my mind; I was stagnant in my actions. But there is nothing I cannot do, only what I’m not willing to do. Live on purpose!

    • I think this was probably the most difficult challenge out of the program so far. Like you I don’t think I really paid attention to what was most important in my life.

      Also it was quite daunting to put those things down on paper. I’m glad I was able to do the task and make sure that I’m focused on working towards making them a constant!
      Read my latest blog post…Why you all in my grill?

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