“Let Your Values Be Your Holiday Guide”

The holidays are here! The giant wave of anticipation, preparation and celebration is upon us. You may be wondering how they got here so fast and how you will manage to get everything done to make this year’s holiday season special. There is decorating to do, there are cards to send, gifts to buy and wrap, meals to plan and prepare, houses to clean and parties to plan and attend. There is much to do in a short time. With all of this “doing”, it’s clear to see how the meaning and joy of the season may get lost.

Before all you have to do this year overwhelms you, take a moment right now to reflect and define for yourself what is most important to you about this time of year. Pave the way for a soul-satisfying celebration by getting very clear about what you

value about the holidays A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful to you. Whether you are consciously aware of them or not, everyone has a core set of values. When you are clear about what your values are, it is easier to make decisions and find fulfillment. Let your values show you the way to planning a holiday celebration that is in harmony with your deepest beliefs and most expressive of who you are as an individual.

Here is a values-clarification exercise that will help you get in touch with your core values*:

Read the following ten value statements.

• The holidays are a time to be a peacemaker, within my family and world at large.
• The holidays are a time to enjoy being with my immediate family.
• The holidays are a time to celebrate my religious and spiritual beliefs.
• The holidays are a time to exchange gifts with my family and friends.
• The holidays are a time to help those who are less fortunate
• The holidays are a time for parties, entertaining, and visits with friends.
• The holidays are a time to strengthen bonds with my relatives.
• The holidays are a time to strengthen my community
• The holidays are a time to be relaxed and renewed.

First, cross off those that have no importance to you, and add any equally important ones that are not included. Now, decide which of the remaining values is the important to you. Put a “1” beside that statement. Then find the one that is next important to you and put a “2” beside it. Continue in this manner until each sentence has been assigned a different number. Even a value that h as a low priority can still be important to you. Remember, 1 is the highest and 10 is the lowest. Also remember, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers and there are no “shoulds”. This exercise is to help you remember what is most meaningful to you about the holiday season.

There is much to accomplish over the holiday season including personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Now that you have your values clearly defined and prioritized, use them to help you make choices about how you will focus your precious resources of time, energy and money this year. Be true to your core values and let the joy and meaning of the season find YOU this year.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Group Facilitation, Individual Life Planning, Life Coaching, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.