Have you ever faced trouble in life where you questioned your value? Or maybe, within your job or business, you had to let people go because they’d stopped bringing value to the table? It’s challenging to hold tight to our value when the storm hits, when we trip over the hurdle running that marathon.
What do you do when challenging circumstances like these come to you? Does your confidence crumble when your plans fall? When you make a mistake, do you take the time to reflect on what happened, so you can do it better next time?
Or do you ask questions like:
- “How come I haven’t made more money than those other guys? I do what they do and I’m even better than them!”
- “My wife and I haven’t been close for months. How did I end up stuck in this?”
- “Am I even good enough to try again?”
We get caught up in the drama and stress of our lives and circumstances, and we forget our value. We lose sight of the impact we make on others and the authority our lives carry.
There are so many people out there who don’t know their own value. They don’t know what to do with the value they already have!
It’s a challenge when we don’t know what value we contribute. When you go to a job interview or meet with a potential client for your business, do you know what you offer, inside and out? How do you communicate it to the other person? What kind of presentation do you give to?
We “don’t know what we don’t know”. That is the good news! All we need to do is be open to learning something new. We can choose to be value-driven professionals. In his book, Business Made Simple, author Donald Miller teaches professionals how to do this.
To find more value-driven men and women who challenge and nurture you to the next level of success, view our website and apply to join one of our mastermind groups online.
Surviving Vs. Living
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When you wake up and go to work, most people you meet are simply surviving. They start with dreams and goals. They want to see their families do well and avoid making mistakes. But when life throws them a surprise curveball, they check out! They stop trying. They don’t want to get hurt, or lose more than what they gave. They don’t know the value they bring into the lives of the people around them.
"Survival" means we take whatever shortcuts we can, to try and escape with our lives intact. A survival mindset compromises a man's work ethic and honesty.
Under pressure, he'll almost always choose the easy way out. He will cause problems, blame others for his mistakes and play the victim card when you call him on it.
Value-driven professionals see themselves differently. They see the world they live in differently than others. They talk, they eat, and sleep differently than others. For value-driven professionals, success is not a 'formula,' but a 'lifestyle'!
Lifestyles have a way of affecting everything else we touch. Your skill set, goals, and knowledge sit on this foundation. Mess this part up, and it won't be long before your dreams and goals collapse like a house of cards.
“'Big A! I agree with you! But how does that help me TODAY? Life hasn't turned out like I hoped it would, and I'm scared to take another step because I don't know what to do!”
I understand. Our culture doesn't teach people how to become value-driven professionals. But I guarantee you, it is easier to succeed than we think. With an open mind, a strong group of people who support you and faith to believe ... you will succeed! It's not easy ... but it is SIMPLE. Let me show you how value-driven professionals think.
10 Characteristics Of A Value-Driven Professional
1. See Yourself as an Economic Product on the Open Market
People who see themselves as a good investment attract good investments to them. People who believe they are worth a million dollars will work to provide a million dollars' worth of service to the world. But people with a poor sense of their worth tend to attract cheap buyers.
2. See Yourself as a Hero, Not a Victim
Successful people do not play the victim. A victim blames the circumstances around them and refuses to believe there is a better way to think about them. They turn away from opportunities to learn, grow, change, transform, or receive anything that would truly help them.
3. Learn How to De-escalate Drama
Unnecessary drama arises when people don’t know how to work together as a team. Learn to de-escalate drama, so you can stay focused on your personal and professional goals. Learn to stop and ask yourself, 'How would a calm and collected person handle this?’
4. Accept Feedback as a Gift
You can only see through the world through your own personal lens. You can never see every angle in a room by standing in one place. Success comes faster to people who learn to receive feedback, without becoming defensive or getting crushed..
5. Know the Right Way to Engage in Conflict
No matter where you go, you will always encounter conflict. How do you handle conflict when it comes? Don’t try to avoid it. Take a deep breath, be open-minded about what’s happening, and focus on growth rather than defending your position.
6. Seek Trust and Respect First
Some people just want the “easy way”. They want the rewards of working hard, but not the responsibilities. Leaders who are afraid to confront this face a similar problem. They want the 'rewards' of being in charge, but not the 'responsibilities. Good leaders command respect and earn trust, by setting standards, goals and guidelines for success..
7. Take Action
Goals without action are like pie in the sky. Too many people write down their ideas, but never put energy and action behind them. Value-driven professionals are ACTIVE; they move quickly from 'writing' to 'executing' on their goals.
8. Choose Clarity
I'm responsible for me, and you're responsible for you.' I've never said that statement to anyone who didn't understand what it meant. Success becomes simpler when we choose clarity.. When we’re unclear, we don't want to make hard decisions or take risks. But if we're crystal-clear about who is truly responsible for our success, we're take ownership of our lives.
9. Be Relentlessly Optimistic
No one achieves success believing there’s a monster around every corner. When you are relentlessly optimistic, you can walk through any adversity to achieve your goal. You know deep in your heart that you're bigger than your setbacks.
10. Have a Growth Mindset
In the book Mindsets, Carol Dweck writes about the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. To achieve value in your life, you must reflect which mindset you choose. Dweck recommends these steps:
- Embrace challenges
- Persist against obstacles
- See effort we put in as fruitful
- Learn from criticism
- Be inspired by the success of others
These are the makings of a value-driven professional. Don’t be discouraged if you need to work on some of them. It takes time and community to build them into our lives.
When difficulties come, we need those values to keep us stable so we can stay committed to our success. Reach out to us at our website and apply to join one of our mastermind groups online. Your success as a value-driven professional is our mission.
