Three Life Decisions You Need To Get Right

Why you need The Big Three life decisions to be aligned with your core values

The reason I often write and speak about core values is they serve as an essential tool for your most important decisions. 

Core values can apply to small decisions, such as who you spend time with and how you use your leisure time. But core value awareness is most essential in relation to what I like to call the Big Three decisions in your life:

• Your partner.

• Your chosen career path or vocation.

• Your community environment.

These facets of life must be aligned with your core values. Otherwise, you’ll inevitably feel a disconnect between you and the people around you, and that disconnect will eventually evolve into unbearable dissonance.

Like most of us, you've probably experienced this type of dissonance at some point in your life. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a relationship where you learned you and your partner just weren't on the same page. Maybe you’ve adapted your lifestyle to match the people around you, only to find yourself spending a lot of time doing things you don’t enjoy. In other cases, you may have found yourself getting a wince-inducing request from a superior at work and felt a pit in your stomach as you performed the task.

If you feel these things consistently in the Big Three domains, you may not be listening to your values enough. Here’s how to get the Big Three right.

Your Partner

Many people think their ideal perfect partner is someone just like them, with a similar personality or the same hobbies.

However, this is misguided. There is a reason opposites attract: we all have strengths and flaws, and it can bring balance to your life if your partner complements those traits. But you do need to be aligned on the big things.

For example, alignment on lifestyle and financial goals is vital. If you want to save and invest most of your income so you can retire early, it might be complicated to have a partner who wants to live for today and save minimally. Neither approach is wrong, but being misaligned on something like this can be the source of continuous tension.

Similarly, you need to be aligned on how you want to raise your family. Make certain that you and your partner agree on whether you want kids, and if you want to raise them according to certain values.

Differences are important in a relationship, but disagreement on big things like life goals or your approach to finance and family will often become irreconcilable.

Your Career