How to create your own Values-Focused roadmap
Today’s society places excessive value on outward appearances, material possessions, career, income, etc. Chasing financial success gives the impression of being a natural and easily set goal, but a lot of times it leaves us unhappy and unfulfilled. It is very hard to be authentic when there are so many voices yelling: Do what I did and you’ll be successful; Follow my steps and you’ll reach happiness in just 7 days; and on and on.
I had a couple of major shifts in my life that made me lose track of my true goals and slip into the mainstream. Ever since I have been struggling to live out my values and to be my own voice. It is hard to stick to your own moral principles when you try to please everyone and place self-inflicted pressure to be the best you’re “expected” to be - best employee, wife, mother, etc. - and somewhere between being perfect and just being, you can lose yourself.
I’ve once read this quote:
“Don’t let others box you into their idea of what they think you should be. A confined identity is a miserable way to exist. Be you and live free. Trust that in living true to yourself, you will attract people that support and love you, just as you are.”
– Jaeda deWalt
Don’t you think that’s true?
It’s unfortunate that we only stop to think about our own mission statement when our spirits are crushed and we realize that our definition of success is not really our own. These pages were just what I needed to help myself with crafting a personal plan.
Having a personal mission statement will bring focus and purpose to your life (or business) and keep you on track when you need to get back to your authentic self. Whether it’s a daily mantra, a quote, or a full and carefully crafted mission statement, it is a great tool for making decisions, setting priorities, and giving yourself permission to turn away from distractions.
Writing down your values on paper makes it real. It becomes your true north for making directional decisions in life.
While searching for my true self I have created my Values-Focused Roadmap Planner that helped outline a framework for how I want to live my life and keeps me intuitively aligned with my own values. And now, I want to share it with you to help you create your own roadmap to live your best life.
This process requires some clarity of mind and self-analysis, so don’t expect to hit the mark on your first try. It can take several drafts before you approach a somewhat “final” draft. Print it out and keep it somewhere that you can read it every day to help you stay on track.
