Values

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” -Roy Disney

“If you don’t stick to your values when they are being tested, they’re not values; they’re hobbies.” -Jon Stewart

A useful exercise is to get out a sheet of paper and write down all your core values. What matters most to you. One word that encapsulates each value is sufficient. Examples might be: family, spiritual, honesty, health, courage, discipline, fun, etc…

After you’re done (probably no more than 12), rank them in terms of priority. What’s most important to you right now.

This exercise serves a few purposes.

One…Know that as a producer or leader of any project, you will be faced with an endless stream of decisions. Tough decisions. That’s your job. Knowing your values and your organization’s values makes those decisions easier.

Two…When deciding whether to take on a project, you can examine if that projects aligns with your core values.

Third…Examine your rankings. For example, if “Fun” is one of your higher values, that might mean passing on doing something difficult right now. Don’t feel bad about the choice. Honor the ranking.

And realize that over time, your rankings will change. Just like money experts advise people to re-balance their investment portfolios every year, you might want to do the same for your sheet of values.