If actions reflect values, what do they say about you?
The mental math that goes into making decisions and how I tilt the odds in my favour
The mental math that goes into making decisions and how I tilt the odds in my favour
My company just wrapped up a week of festivities. Hashtags were flying around with snazzy slogans celebrating unity and harmony, identity and integrity and all sorts of other hippy war cries. We got to talk about the company’s future direction and gossip about internal politics.
Once each day came to a close, we headed to the restaurants to eat the finest Pad Thai San Francisco had to offer. We all had a daily allowance and I’ll be damned if I didn’t use it! On the last day, we had a giant party with unlimited tequila shots and a fish taco stand.
That night, I downed my fifth fluid ounce of tequila and headed straight for my friend Colin who was in the midst of a deep conversation with Nina and Zack. I don’t know what they were talking about, but I overheard the following phrase
Your actions reflect your values
Cool, I thought. Heard that one before. Nothing new. I’ll take that beer now.
Once the party was over, I stumbled my way to the hotel and passed out.
The next day I woke up at 10am with a pounding headache. I was incapacitated to my room for the next 9 hours while my liver was hard at work. The only positive outcome of that experience was the opportunity to reflect on my actions.
I am the guy who preaches the gospel of low sugar diets to anyone who will dare to listen. I spend copious amounts of time roaming the internet for information about insulin, cholesterol, and inflammation. I also managed to poison my own body using exclusively the sheer power of my own will.
I am the guy who regularly writes about happiness, minimalism and intentional living. I worked hard on my 2017 resolutions to use my time wisely. I found plenty of time to browse nonsense on the internet throughout that week. I did not however find time to call my mother.
If the statement above is true — if actions dictate your values — my values are… off. They are certainly not what I expected them to be.
I am glad Colin brought up that phrase. Thanks to him, I had a mini-epiphany while nursing my hangover.
Up to last week, my values dictated my actions — up to a point. Occasionally, I would give myself a break from being good … and be bad. I would drink a little too much. I would browse YouTube a little too long. I would get into an argument on Twitter a little too fast.
The new me prefaces these “undesirable” behaviours with the following question:
Does this action reflect my values?
Does drinking a pint of beer reflect my values? Nope. Maybe I’ll think again before ordering a second round. Better yet, I can go for a tall glass of kombucha instead.
This approach can work for anyone. Try this:
Next time you’re about to open Netflix, play another round of Candy Crush or skip the gym because you are sore from the brisk walk yesterday, ask yourself this: does this action reflect my values?