What are Core Values?
Are You Living in Alignment with Your Core Values?
How well do you know your core values? Do they shape the decisions you make each day? And how well do they align with your work, relationships, and overall life?
For many of my clients, the discomfort they feel in their careers or personal lives isn’t about skill, ambition, or capability—it’s about a disconnect from their core values. They wake up at night ruminating over decisions, feeling torn between what they truly believe and what’s expected of them.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain, or like something just isn’t right, it might be time to take a closer look at your personal values and how they’re influencing your life.
What Are Core Values and Why Do They Matter?
Your core values are your internal compass. They guide your decisions, define what truly matters to you, and shape how you show up in the world.
When your personal values and career values align, life feels purposeful and fulfilling. But when there’s a mismatch? That’s when stress, frustration, and burnout take hold.
I often see clients struggling with an underlying sense of unease. They can’t quite put their finger on why they feel drained, unmotivated, or disconnected. More often than not, it’s because they’re working against their own values.
The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Core Values
Living or working in conflict with your core values has a real impact—mentally, emotionally, and even physically.
If excellence is one of your top values but your workplace prioritizes speed over quality, you’ll feel frustrated and unfulfilled.
If fairness is deeply important to you, but you see favoritism in leadership, it can leave you feeling powerless and resentful.
If you value work-life balance but work in a culture that glorifies burnout, you’ll feel guilty—whether you’re working or trying to switch off.
🚨 Signs of Core Value Misalignment:
✔ Constant stress and overthinking decisions
✔ Feeling drained, unmotivated, or stuck
✔ Waking up at night ruminating over work
✔ Struggling with self-doubt or guilt
✔ Feeling disconnected from your job or relationships
Recognizing these signs is the first step toward realigning with your core values and creating a life that feels more purposeful.
Where Do Your Core Values Come From?
Our core values are shaped early in life—by parents, teachers, cultural expectations, and even social media. But just because you grew up believing something was important doesn’t mean it still serves you today.
Ask yourself:
👉 Are these values truly mine?
👉 Or did I inherit them without questioning them?
As we grow, our personal values evolve too. What mattered most to you five or ten years ago might not hold the same weight today. And that’s okay—growth means allowing your values to adapt as your life changes.
How to Identify Your Core Values and Live By Them
Clarity around your core values is powerful. It helps you:
✔ Make decisions with confidence
✔ Set boundaries that protect your well-being
✔ Align your work with what truly matters
✔ Build more meaningful relationships
Steps to Discover and Align with Your Core Values:
✅ Reflect on past decisions. When did you feel most fulfilled? When did something feel “off”? Your values were at play in both cases.
✅ Write down what truly matters to you. Is it integrity? Growth? Freedom? Success?
✅ Assess your current situation. Are your work and relationships aligned with these values?
✅ Make small, intentional shifts. Even small adjustments—like saying no to something that doesn’t align—can make a huge difference.
What Happens If You Ignore Your Core Values?
If you continue making decisions that go against your core values, you might find yourself trapped in a cycle of stress and self-doubt.
When your values are consistently compromised, your body and mind react—leading to burnout, anxiety, and a deep sense of dissatisfaction.
But here’s the good news: it’s never too late to realign with your values and create a more fulfilling life.
Ready to Live and Work in Alignment with Your Core Values?
If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, it’s time to reassess your values. Your sense of purpose, fulfillment, and happiness depend on it.
🎯 Want to gain clarity on your core values and how to align them with your career and life?
In my Executive and Life Coaching Programmes, we deep dive into your personal and professional values, helping you gain clarity, confidence, and direction.
✨ Take the first step today. Click here to book a discovery call.