A secret the 1% know but the 99% don’t
What is the Highest Value in your life right now?
It could be related to your work, or it can be something else too.
It could be something you picked up from your parents or something of your own.
However, you need to identify it because whatever it is would build your character and help you with your priorities and decision-making.
Now, you might be wondering, “Why Should I Care?” I already have a decent life.
So why should you care?
Because the inspiration you get to work on your highest value comes from within.
On the other hand, when we live our lives by our lower values, we need constant motivation to complete the task.
Take a workout as an example — exercising is not your highest value if you have to push yourself, again and again, every morning, for a workout.
While a person with exercising and workouts as their highest value can’t wait to get up every morning and hit the gym.
You are instantly inspired when you live your life by your highest value.
You don’t need daily motivation to do the things that you want to do. You don’t need to constantly remind yourself of the goals because you’re so into it already.
You are inspired from within.
If you like climbing mountains but do a 9 to 5, then mountains are all you’ll think about day and night. As a result, you’ll procrastinate work, hesitate, and get frustrated quickly.
If you stick to one of your lower values, either you won’t be successful or you won’t be satisfied.
How do you find your highest value?
You need to ask yourself
- What are you missing from your life? What is the void in your life? Your void and your desires could be your highest value.
- What do you think about every now and then when you’re not scrolling on your phone?
- I am sure you daydream like the rest of us. Third, What do you envision when you daydream? Think about it.
- Next, What do you spend most of your money on? On playing, partying, running, learning, on your family? That might help you figure out your highest value.
- What inspires you? Who inspires you? What’s common in all of them? Do soldiers inspire you? Or astronauts? Do you get inspired by thugs? Or from digital nomads? From travelers and explorers?
A little history lesson
Look at any of the world’s top companies. Indeed all of them are providing some value to their clients and customers.
The founders created those companies not because someone asked them to but because it was their highest value, which is why they could achieve what they wanted.
Look at any successful businessperson, musician, or athlete in any field. They reach there because their highest values align with their goals.
Companies like Amazon and SpaceX of this world are not created in a single day.
Jeff Bezos didn’t start Amazon on day 1 and began delivering products to the whole world on day 2.
They are disciplined, motivated, and fulfilled in their lives.
How else can anyone be so persistent? For so many years? For so long. We can only be 100% dedicated to something that aligns with our highest value.
When we try to be like someone else or try to get our employers or our partners’ values into our lives, we won’t be as great as they are.
And that doesn’t mean you can simply figure out your highest value and you’ll be successful the next day.
YOU = YOU
You are not your friend. You are not your parent. You are not anyone else. YOU ARE YOU.
Others’ values do not necessarily align with yours.
For example, let’s consider the highest value of an employer and an employee. The highest value of an employer need not match the highest value of an employee.
For the employer, the company might be their life’s work; they live and die for it, while for the employee, the company might just be a source of income.
The only way to be successful is to be persistent and enjoy the process, and we’ll enjoy the process when we do what we value the most.
Because when you live by your highest value, you can resist the temptation to give up because you enjoy it so much.
Otherwise, you’ll need constant motivation when pain and suffering come up.
Ask yourself
What do you enjoy doing?
What gives you the most energy?
What are you doing or thinking about when the time just flies by?
What do you do when you forget to eat, drink and sleep?
What do you love learning?
Is there something that excites you to get up early in the morning?
What is your obsession?
Goals and Values
Our values are meaningless without goals and our goals are meaningless without values.
Set realistic expectations for your values and make SMARTER goals.
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Actionable
R = Relatable
T = Time-Bound
E = Evaluate
R = Reward yourself when you achieve them, however much small they are
Make small SMARTER goals that are achievable and congruent to your life values, and stick to them long enough.
Wrapping up
We do all sorts of things and make plans and goals for work that do not align with our highest value.
We do the job, meet people, do something we don’t want to, and put so much effort into how we will get it.
We need to put equal if not more effort into understanding our high value because only then can we happily achieve our goals and achieve our dream.
Time just flies by when you do things that you love and things that are congruent to what you feel is the MOST VALUABLE to you.
As we grow up, we forget that feeling.
That feeling of doing the thing that’s most valuable to us.
That’s why we need to understand our highest value. The money part comes later.
So, find out what’s most important to you, stick to it, prioritize it, and link whatever you do back to your highest value.
