104/365: What Makes Us Tick

Today I made:

a timely reminder, complete

-complete with my trademark misspelling, that is. ;)
I began this project back in June, when I had a lot more time on my hands. Now my schedule is packed. I see how imperative it is that I do a full audit of how I spend my time and where I invest my energy, so I don't get swept up in the day-to-day rush and lose sight of my goals (again).

I've been reading and thinking a lot about values lately. I always thought I had "strong" values, but I guess I never really tried to articulate them. I'm starting to see that values are more than just beliefs or philosophies of what's most important in our lives. Core values actually serve the purpose of guiding us in the direction of our bliss. Makes sense, right? That which brings us meaning and purpose should feed our goals. Our core values are blue prints for what makes us happy and fulfilled. We need to pay attention to them when designing our experience!

Times like these when I'm trying to juggle so many things and feeling unclear about my focus, I need to check in with my values and make sure they are reflected in the decisions I'm making, the opportunities I'm saying "yes" to and the way I'm structuring my time. When I ignore my values, I experience disconnect, I lose motivation, I flounder. This repurposed clock project is an effort to to get really clear on my values and keep them in plain sight, so I don't lose track of what makes me tick. These are not connected to hours in the day and although balance would be nice, it's mostly a way for me to stay aware of my foundation.

Try it! Make an effort to articulate 10-20 values that shape who you are. Post these in a place where you can see them and refer to them when making big (and small) decisions about how to proceed on your path.