How To Use Values As A Guide To Living An Amazing Life

For the last few days, I have been reading the book, Think Like A Monk By Jay Shetty. At the end of each book, I usually share a summary with highlights worth sharing. But Sometimes, there are topics you want to give special attention to so it doesn’t get lost in a full summary. 

One such topic is life values. But, unfortunately, you don’t often know how much you need them until hardships hit. So you end up having to re-evaluate your life. 

In this blog post, I share the importance of values and how to ensure we live our lives per our values based on the book, Think Like A Monk.

What Are Values?

Values are our guiding principles for our lives. It’s what we believe is vital to us in life and what we should live by. 

For instance, my values include authenticity, independence, learning, etc. They help guide my life, where I try to be as authentic as possible in every situation. 

Author Jay Shetty writes that If you know your values, you have directions that point you toward the people, actions, and habits that are best for you.

So why are these values important? What happens if you don’t have them? In my experience, when you don’t know your values, you can easily be swept away whenever life throws a curveball. 

We are constantly making decisions in life. When we are rooted in our values which define how we want to live, it’s easier to make choices that are in our best interest. 

Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people, make tough career choices, use your time more wisely, and focus your attention where it matters.

– Jay Shetty, Think Like A Monk

If values are so critical, how do we make sure we live our lives according to them? 

The Impact Of External Influences

As a former monk, Jay Shetty observed that our values are influenced by whatever our mind absorbs. The more we absorb media like celebrity gossip, video games, and disturbing news, the more our values are tainted. They get tainted with qualities like envy, judgment, compassion, etc. 

Jay shares that when we fill up our lives and leave no more to reflect, those distractions become our values by default. 

To help with this, he suggests three ways to actively create space for reflection:

1. Daily, he recommends we sit down and reflect on how the day went and the emotions we are feeling.
2. Once a month, go to a place we have never been before to explore ourselves in a new environment
3. Get involved in something meaningful to you, a hobby, a charity, etc. 

I found that journaling is a great way to reflect on your thoughts. It’s a safe space to pour out your heart. 

I have also been trying new places every few weeks, like a new library, cafe, and a zen garden. It’s a perfect way to practice mindfulness as you entirely focus on exploring the new place.

Auditing Your Life

Jay Shetty writes that ‘What we do in our spare time shows what we value.’ In the book, he recommends doing an audit of how you spend your time apart from working, eating, and sleeping. 

In addition to time, he also suggests auditing how you spend your money and how much time you spend on media. 

I did the time audit exercise for a week and wasn’t shocked that my time didn’t always reflect what I value the most and how I want to be. 

Here is a snapshot of my time audit on a random weekday. It’s a great way to see how much time you dedicate to each area of your life. 

Reflecting On Our Choices

The next step after our audit is to decide your values and whether your choices align with them.

In my time audit, I was happy to see the amount of time I spent on self-reflection, which involved meditation and journaling. However, I also realized we were not spending enough quality time as a family during the week. Time Audit is excellent for making the changes you need in your life. 

If the choices we make work out well for us, then our values are in alignment with our actions. But when things don’t work out, it’s worth revisiting what drove the decision you made.

Jay Shetty

Making Value-Driven Connections

In the book, Jay emphasizes choosing the people we spend time with based on our values. To rely on a community that reflects who you want to be. The one that looks like the future you want. 

Who you surround yourself with helps you stick to your values and achieve your goals. You grow together.

Jay Shetty

If staying healthy is one of your values, you would surround yourself with people who value fitness. If spirituality is important to you, you will surround yourself with people who focus on self-growth. This concept has undoubtedly helped me in my growth. 

I hope this helps you reflect on your values and if the choices you make and the people most of your spend time with are based on your life’s values. Check out the book for exercises that help curate your values and examples of higher and lower values.