Value: Loving Relationships and Friends

After going through the values exercise as described in Scrum for Your Life, I was surprised to find that this is my highest value. For many this is a no-brainer, but I’d chased money most of my life because I thought that was my highest value. Only after going through the exercise did I learn that not to be true, and examining my behavior both past and present reinforces this.

Would I rather go out to look at a great real estate deal, or spend the day with my wife? Easy answer. If I have to choose, the deal can wait for another day. Would I rather study for an exam or have a beer with a friend I’ve not seen in a while? Who cares about the exam? Would I rather workout or help a friend move? I’ll probably work up a good sweat helping him move anyway.

Did you notice how I tested against other high values? This is the essence of the exercise. I tested against Fitness and Health, Personal Growth, and Financial Independence. Those each fell further down the list. The next step is to test those against each other to discover their ranking.

Have you done this exercise? Do you know the things that are most important to you? Knowing your values will help you easily shape the decisions, big and small, that you face every day.