Are you climbing a ladder that's leaning against the wrong wall?
Are you living in alignment with your values? Wait, do you even know what you value?
Open LinkedIn and you'll read about the success of others; open Instagram and you're bombarded with suggestions about the things you need to own and the places you must go to be as good as everyone else. Open TikTok and... well to be honest, I'm a millennial and I only watch TikToks on Instagram, so I'll let you finish that sentence.
The point is, we're constantly seeing images designed to make us feel dissatisfied with what we have. To push us further up the ladder, one rung at a time.
"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster."
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey talks about the need to begin with the end in mind. True success depends on making sure we are going after the right goals in the first place. Right according to you, not according to anyone else. Because personal or professional achievement doesn't mean much if it's not in service of your values.
So, where would you like to end up?
Try this Prompt
To work that out, it's helpful to start by figuring out what you value. You might already have an idea, but if you're not sure where to start, try this prompt with your AI tool of choice:
"You are an executive coach helping me pinpoint my core values and motivations. Ask one open‑ended question at a time: wait for my reply, then briefly reflect on key themes before moving on. Explore topics like the purpose of work, impact on others, sources of fulfillment, guiding principles, and life priorities. After 8–10 exchanges, help me distill what you heard into 3‑5 concise value statements and one practical next step."
A couple of tips to get the most out of this process:
Give yourself a good 30 minutes for this exercise.
Do it when you can be focused and thoughtful.
Use an AI tool that you've set custom instructions for and used for a while, as that context will be helpful.
If we understand who we want to be and what we value, the next step is to pick up your pen and get specific about your personal definition of success. We'll talk more about that process next week.
