Core values – those titles assigned to the feelings and main drivers for work, and home, motivation. (Image made over at wordle.com)
I was a bit of a lone wolf back in the Middle School days. Never really had too many friends. Sure there were a few around that seemed to put up with me in an okay manner. I mean, I didn’t stink or anything – I just didn’t feel like getting out and about all that much. Maybe it was childhood trauma or some junk like that… who knows.
What I do know is that there was one ‘interesting’ friend of mine that just seemed a little too willing to be by my side at times. I’ll call him Henry for now. Henry would sit with me at lunch and I think we had a math class or something together. He was pretty much a weirdo loner, too, so you might say it was a match made in Middle School Heaven… or the beginning of a News Story. (DUN DUN DUUUUNN!!!)
One day Henry decided that I needed to have a few extra egg-rolls. Sure… I like egg-rolls… why not. Well, 1 egg-roll turned into 3 and a hamburger with a Coke. And then it escalated into all that, more, and cold hard cash. We’re talking $5 bills… I was a kid – this seemed great, eh?
One day I just had to put a stop to it and he just about lost it. I remember him having to be escorted out of the school cafeteria and I don’t think I ever saw him again. I had been collecting the money at home and turned the jug of cash in to the School Administration.
You might say I had a fair bit of Core Values at work trying to keep me on the straight and narrow.
What are the Core Values that Motivate you to Work?
All of us are driven by something deep down inside. There are special little spots in our hearts, heads, and souls that just make us say “YEAH!” or “NO WAY!” when it comes to getting stuff done – or turning down that 5th egg-roll. Give the list below some serious consideration as you ponder what really seems to tip your hat one way or another.
I tinted this article towards work motivation, but you’ll find these core values apply to other facets of life. Go about it whatever way you feel works best – don’t forget to clarify in the comments when you share with us later. :)
48 Core Values – Work Inspiration and Motivation:
- Achievement: a sense of accomplishment, mastery, goal achievement
- Activity: fast-paced, highly active work
- Advancement: growth, seniority, and promotion resulting from work well done
- Adventure: new and challenging opportunities, excitement, risk
- Aesthetics: appreciation of beauty in things, ideas, surroundings, personal space
- Affiliation: interaction with other people, recognition as a member of a particular group, involvement, belonging
- Affluence: high income, financial success, prosperity
- Authority: position and power to control events and other people’s activities
- Autonomy: ability to act independently with few constraints, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, ability to make most decisions and choices
- Balance: giving proper weight to each area of one’s life
- Challenge: continually facing complex and demanding tasks and problems
- Change and variation: absence of routine; work responsibilities, daily activities, or settings that change frequently; unpredictability
- Collaboration: close, cooperative working relationships with groups
- Community: serving and supporting a purpose that supersedes personal desires, making a difference
- Compassion: a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering
- Competence: demonstrating a high degree of proficiency and knowledge, showing above-average effectiveness and efficiency at tasks
- Competition: rivalry with winning as the goal
- Courage: willingness to stand up for one’s beliefs
- Creativity: the ability to discover, develop, or design new ideas, formats, programs, or things; to demonstrate innovation and imagination
- Diverse perspectives: unusual ideas, opinions, &points of view that may not seem right or be popular at first but bear fruit in the long run
- Duty: respect for authority, rules, and regulations
- Economic security: steady and secure employment, adequate financial reward, low risk
- Enjoyment: having fun and laughing
- Fame: becoming prominent, famous, well known
- Family: spending time with partner, children, parents, or extended family
- Freedom: the power to act or speak without externally imposed restraints
- Friendship: developing close personal relationships with others
- Happiness: finding satisfaction, joy, pleasure, contentment
- Health: physical and mental well-being, vitality
- Help others: helping other people attain their goals, provide care and support
- Humor: the ability to laugh at oneself and life
- Influence: having an impact or effect on the attitudes or opinions of others
- Integrity: acting in accord with moral and ethical standards; honesty, sincerity, truth, trustworthiness
- Justice: fairness, equality, doing the right thing
- Knowledge: the pursuit of understanding, skill, and expertise; continuous learning
- Location: choice of a place to live that is conducive to one’s lifestyle
- Love: involvement in close, affectionate relationships; intimacy
- Loyalty: faithfulness; dedication to individuals, traditions, or organizations
- Order: stability, routine, predictability, clear lines of authority, standardized procedures
- Personal development: dedication to maximizing one’s potential
- Physical fitness: staying in shape through exercise and physical activity
- Recognition: positive feedback and public credit for work well done; respect and admiration
- Reflection: taking time out to think about the past, present, and future
- Responsibility: dependability, reliability, accountability for results
- Self-respect: pride, self-esteem, sense of personal identity
- Spirituality: strong spiritual or religious beliefs, moral fulfillment
- Status: being respected for one’s job or association with a prestigious group or organization
- Wisdom: sound judgment based on knowledge, experience, and understanding
Work Satisfaction is in Your Hands
Which of the above Core Values just seem to ring true with you? Or maybe just feel right? Or just look like they mean the most? This is the kind of information you should latch on to, nurture, and really grow into a more robust understanding of yourself. Turn this information into a useful skill. Focus on these core values and watch the rest of you fall in line.
Share this information with your boss and family members, too. By letting others in on a more concrete feel for your sense of self, you are giving them the opportunity to work with you better. Eyes being the window to the soul and all that… undo a latch and let them open it up a crack, eh?
Want to know your top 3 motivators? Take the free Self-Motivation Test. Share them below!
Looking for some other free resources instead? Check out This Free Library of Books on Personal Development, Self Growth, and Motivation.