Have you ever found yourself doing things out of character, second guessing your decisions or sacrificing what's most important to you in the name of creating success?
As business owners, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make the right decisions that will ultimately lead to success. With high expectations to get the recipe for success right, we turn to business experts to give us the guidance we need to make critical decisions with confidence.
However, many experts suggest using business objectives as a guide for making decisions but they often neglect the importance of personal core values.
For example, growth, profitability, and innovation are a few common business objectives. On the surface, growth may seem like a great outcome for any business. But, if ease is one of your core values you'll need to develop a strategy for growth that's tailored to you and your business objectives.
The key to creating sustainable success is making decisions that honor both your values and business objectives.
These two elements must be at the center of your decision-making to build a business without sacrificing your sanity. When you intentionally incorporate your core values in your business, you create personal alignment in your work.
With so many different philosophies on how you should run your business, it's easy to slip into the default way of working. Maybe you constantly catch yourself working 12-hour days in your business, sacrificing your health and quality time with family. Compromising your values while striving for success will leave you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and exhausted.
As a leader, it is vital that you know, honor and incorporate your core values in business decisions for two main reasons:
- You'll have a clear vision for what drives you, why you're dedicated and the direction of your business.
In even the toughest situations, my values have been there to hold the bigger picture of what's most important to me. I like to think of them as the one common thread that binds everything together in my life. A few that guide my personal and professional decisions are: creativity, collaboration, impact, generosity, passion, sustainability and of course fun!
I use these values to guide my personal decisions when choosing friends, exercise activities, travel destinations and financial investments. In my business they help me make decisions that align with who I am when choosing projects, partnerships, and the products I offer.
Here are 7 ways incorporating your core values in business will help you create sustainable success.
1. You'll wake up excited to work because you have clear priorities that reflect the big vision for your business and life.
2. You'll know exactly where to spend your time, energy and money to reach your goals.
3. You'll have an elevated level of confidence to make swift decisions without second guessing yourself.
4. You'll feel a deeper sense of fulfillment in your work because your business is aligned with what's important to you.
5. Your enthusiasm will attract the right type of partnerships, employees and customers-making business more fun!
6. You'll have a bigger impact in the long run by sustaining your energy, drive and momentum.
7. You won't sacrifice your sanity along the way because you'll be honoring both who you are and your business goals.
The closer you bridge the gap between your core values and your actions, the more fulfilling your journey will be.
Establishing your values doesn't have to be a long thought-out process. You can simply start by identifying what's important to you and what you're not willing to sacrifice. Then take a few moments to write down the common themes in your life and any words that resonate with you.
Ultimately, just writing them down isn't enough to impact your life. You must implement a strategy for making business decisions that align with your core values on a daily basis. Living your values will not only help you create sustainable success in business, but in any area of your life.
Noelle Bloom is a Lifestyle Strategist who can help you have fun, live free and feel fabulous while building your business. Have a fabulous business lifestyle today, instead of waiting until X, Y and Z to finally start living.
Get your FREE Business Lifestyle Action Guide to help you align your business with your lifestyle goals, style your business sweet spot and design your daily hustle. Start here: http://www.noellebloom.com/quiz/