Internalize Your Core Values, Because if You Don’t Who Will?
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Life Hack:
Internalize Your Core Values, Because if You Don’t Who Will? Yesterday I had the opportunity to grab coffee with fellow blogger and Syracuse University alumni Jay Mandel in Columbus Circle. We had a lively discussion around mapping out our careers and trying to pin down our life’s purpose. At one point in the conversation Jay asked me if I knew my “core values.” My mind drew a blank and I looked to the floor. A few moments later I mumbled out a few things such as “authenticity, lifestyle design & giving back to others.” It was clear that I had not internalized my core values – the fundamental beliefs that should shape my life and career.
I was embarrassed because this was an exercise that I have done several times and one that I’ve blogged about. But what became clear is that I had lost them somewhere along the way. This weekend I’m going to rediscover my core values so that I can reestablish the pillars that will shape my life. Want to join me? Use my blog post as your template.
Career Tip:
Affirmations Aren’t Bull$hit. Before I started using affirmations, I thought the same thing as you… they’re bull$hit. How can writing something down on a piece of paper make it become true? I started using affirmations at a time in my life when I was desperate. I was in a job I didn’t like and wanted out. I thought, what harm could affirmations cause? They’ll either work or they won’t. There’s only an upside.
Well two years later, I am a full believer in their power. I have used them to help reshape my life and career. I still use them today as I look to accomplish new goals in my career, with this blog and in my personal life. Check out this article from Life Hack to see how to get started with your affirmation practice. I recommend choosing one affirming thought (i.e. I will get paid for doing a job that I love) and writing it down 20 times each morning for a month. (4 Minute Read)
Book to Read:
When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn’t the Life You Want by Mike Lewis. I bet you’ve seen the people on Instagram who have seemingly quit their job on a whim and are now lounging on a beach in Bali. These people love to make that lifestyle change seem so simple, but what they fail to explain is how they made “the jump” from their old life to this new one. Mike Lewis’ book, passed onto me by STL member Bob Burrow, provides readers with tangible steps on when to take a jump in your career and how to execute it. You’ll hear Mike’s story of how he jumped from Bain Capital Ventures to become a professional squash player as well as countless others from the writer of Sleepless in Seattle to the founder of Bonobos. Feel like you’re nearing a jump in your career? This book is a must read. (8 Hour Read)
Podcast to Check Out:
Furthering Your Meditation Practice with Brendan Barca by Zen Commuter. Do you want to lead a life that’s calmer, wiser and happier? This podcast, Zen Commuter produced by my friend Thom Walters, was created to help you accomplish these three things through the practice of meditation. Last month, I was on Thom’s podcast for the second time where I discussed my evolving meditation practice, how it has impacted my career trajectory and how it’s helped me to overcome life’s obstacles. Still don’t think meditation is for you? My story might change that. (40 Minute Listen)
Quote of the Week:
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek
