If I were to ask you what your number one value is, do you think you could answer? It’s something that, as a coach, I spend a lot of time thinking about and encouraging my clients to do the same. But, for most people, it’s not something you consider day to day. Most move through life, not noticing a mismatch of values until something significant happens. Often, an important life experience can lead you to re-evaluate what is important to you. You may discover that what you once wanted doesn’t’ ring true anymore. And that can be a complicated set of emotions. On World Values Day, I wanted to discuss how your life experiences can change your values.
So, before we dig a little deeper, let me share what World Values Day is. Launched in 2016 by the UK Values Alliance, it has now grown into an annual campaign on the 16th of October, aiming to increase awareness of values around the world. The 2025 theme is “Values for the Future,” aiming to shape a future for “ourselves, our families, our communities and our future generations, so we can fundamentally change our whole world for the better.”. During World Values Day, everyone is encouraged to:
- Choose a significant value.
- Act on that value.
- Tell the world!
I’m sure it won’t come as any surprise that my number one value is balance. There is a reason I named my business after it! I hope that I act on that every day; from how I work, where I work, the importance of boundaries and where I place my energy.
When I coach clients on their values, it’s often the first time they have considered them. From 1:1 return to work coaching, redundancy support, wellbeing workshops, and career coaching, values are the things that help us make decisions and choose where we put our energy and time.
Today, I want to dig a little deeper to help you understand the importance of values. It’s not just something us coaches “like” people to have. It’s the backbone of the work of many psychology and sociology researchers to understand what values are, how they show up and why they are so important. And, why, when we are working and living out of alignment, things can go wrong, for individuals and communities.
There are two ways we can look at values:
- Instrumental Values
The simplest way to understand instrumental values is to think of them as the actions or behaviours that help us reach an end goal or satisfy a human need. Examples of these can be being honest, logical, or loving.
- Terminal Values
This is the end state, often created by our instrumental value; the result of the values that show up in your behaviour. For example, you could say that being loving (the instrumental value) has the result (terminal value) of having good relationships.
When you see these written out in this way, you can understand how so many of us see values differently. Imagine if a terminal value of yours was financial security, but the way to achieve this within an organisation or a family differed. Some may want honesty and transparency, whilst others could be driven purely by pace and fast success. I’m sure you could see how that is likely to cause issues.
You may find that whilst your terminal values have remained constant over your life, your life experiences, both growth and loss, would lead you to want a different “how” (instrumental value).
Let me share a personal reflection to illustrate. One of my terminal values is security. Once upon a time, that instrumental value meant job success, status, and a monthly income. Now, I’m ten years into self-employment, a career choice which was influenced by core life experiences: becoming a mother and bereavement. Now, the way I want that security to happen is hugely different. I want freedom, purpose and flexibility more than the status of a job title.
What I love about the theme for this year’s values day is the simplicity. It just wants us to choose one value and put it into action! So, on National Values Day, I want you to reflect on what is important to you. How does this show up, and how in control do you feel? If you are that way inclined, share this on your socials, and take some time to check in with your colleagues, friends and family, and find out about their values.
If you would like to read more about values, then read:
Eight questions to help you uncover your values
How to align your career to your values
How to understand your money values – guest blog
If you would like to speak more about how I can help you, or your team, create a career to enjoy, book in a call here.
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
