Simple Guide to Life

My work fights what I actually value.

Most people think they value everything. But here's the uncomfortable truth: you can't maximize all values simultaneously.

The Schwartz Value Wheel is basically a map of what humans care about, backed by research across 82 countries. Values next to each other are compatible. They play nice together. Values across from each other conflict. Like oil and water, or ambition and work-life balance.

If you're chasing Achievement and Power, you're probably sacrificing Benevolence and Universalism. If you prioritize Security and Tradition, Stimulation and Self-Direction take a hit.

This is why you feel conflicted. You're trying to be a pancake that's simultaneously crispy AND fluffy, sweet AND savory. It doesn't work.

2 questions. Be honest.

What resonates? Which 2 or 3 values make you think, "Yes, THIS is what actually matters to me when I'm being honest"? Not what should matter. Not what looks good on paper. What genuinely lights you up?

What's in conflict? Now look at the opposite side of your chosen values. Is THIS where you're currently spending most of your time and energy? Do you value Self-Direction but spend all day in Conformity? Do you care about Benevolence but your career is all Achievement?

The bigger the gap between what you value and how you spend your time, the more burnt or flat your pancake becomes. Your goal is to align your daily actions with the values that actually resonate, not the ones you think you're supposed to have.

Write down your 2 or 3 core values and the conflict you just found. Then take them into the worksheet.