Before you can reach any goal, you have to know what you value the most.

Many of us find rejoice in the fact of having goals for our lives and that's how It should be, as our species sense of fulfillment and happiness are correlated to our levels of dopamine, the hormone that's realized when a challenge is consciously faced and surpassed. However, one problematic that has surfaced in the current day is the fact that most people don't even know what they want to reach and to fight for in life, and this might have to do with many factors, between which we can find overstimulation, being It the fact that we're constantly bombarded with activities that twist our rewards system and distract us from what we should really be focusing on. That's why in this article I'll talk about the first thing you should do before you can pursue anything, and that's writing down what you value in life, describing at the same time Its benefits hoping to bring you some encouragement in the process of finding what you love. Let's begin:

What is really a value?

If we look up at the definition of Value in Google, you'll find that It has multiple connotations, though the most popular ones are "the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something." and "a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.". Both statements are perfectly aligned with the reference to our quest of finding what's meaningful, as they describe the ultimate importance of our value systems. One example of our values being put in action can be found in the people that we follow and surround ourselves with: If you value honesty over everything else, you'll hang out with people that won't think twice to tell you If something's good or bad to them and sharing honest opinions; If you are an advocate for love, then you will be around with people that are willing to give their affection without seeking someone in exchange. As a broader explanation, values are single words that describe our core principles with which we act in the world.

Now that we know what a value is and how It can be seen in our day to day, we can begin to talk about the benefits of simply writing down what we value the most in a piece of paper or our own devices. Let's begin:

Keeps you on track

Sometimes you might deviate from your real values because of external situations and you might feel like you have betrayed yourself, though you don't realize It because you haven't put into words what you really consider worthy to abide by. By defining your paradigm, you'll be sure to examine If your behavior in the day to day is aligning with the vision of meaning in your life.

Lets you find people with the same values

There's no better candidate for a friend than someone that holds your values, as they'll surely be a great ally in the journey and the chemistry between you both will be there in the first place. If you know what you really appreciate then you'll quickly find people that think similarly and you'll be aware of the benefit It will bring to you both, as you'll share a mission and even, you might encounter after all your mission in life.

I hope that this little article could have been of use to you, making you realize the importance of having a well rounded value system, as It will let you know what you really want in life and what you need to keep away from It, thus resulting in a better understanding of who you are and the people that surround you. Thank you for your support and good luck!