Identifying your values can help you focus on what’s most important.
Losing sight of our primary values can lead to stress over peripheral issues.
For example, Sarah, a physician I coached, found herself stressed if she ran behind schedule.
Having a personality that featured a high degree of agreeableness, she stressed over patients’ complaints.
After a closer look at her values, she realized that timeliness was important, but her primary value was to give the best care, not make every patient happy.
After weighing the trade-offs, she decided to focus on her primary value and was less concerned over a few complaining patients.
After all, even the patients who complained received her best care…and that’s what mattered most to Sarah!