Do What You Value!

Mickey Fitch’s previous post, “What Do You Value?” got my wheels spinning.

I can’t say it was the only thing, as I have been dwelling quite a bit lately on the idea of living in congruence with my values, using my time to advance the causes I care about, and setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Limited) to help me reach them.

Since it was Earth Day, I also spent time thinking today about how I integrate my values with my lifestyle and how I take care of the Earth, as well as myself.

When I was a peer educator at Clemson, we had giveaway buttons and materials that said “Do what you value!” An interesting turn of phrase. And in that context, it was about sexual decision-making. But doing what you value is a powerful idea that should carry over into your everyday life and your work.

Here are some ways I am trying to live up to my own expectations.

1. Living in a LEED certified new-construction green home in a transitional neighborhood.
2. Driving a hybrid car (Prius). It gives me great satisfaction to know that most of my stops at the gas station are for snacks.
3. Gardening only by organic methods, and composting when I can (I need to get a new composter, as I left the old one in PA, but soon enough we’ll get one.
4. Spending my money locally whenever possible and avoiding chain restaurants in favor of local cuisine…It was easy in State College, and is becoming easier in Athens!
5. I only take what I want at dinner, and unless it was undercooked and gross, I eat all of it.
6. By stopping at having two children (in the interest of Zero Population Growth).

I also believe in volunteering, and as I build my client base for the coaching practice, I’ve been seeking out volunteer opportunities that I would like, and using them to get connected  here in Athens and back in Clemson. Last week it was a 5K race for Ovarian Cancer Research, coupled with a butterfly release that raised money for the daughter of a high school friend who died recently after a 13-year battle. I am also volunteering for the AthFest Half-Marathon and getting involved in other Athfest committees and projects. I met today with a rep from Nuçi’s Space, a musician’s resource center, and I’ll be developing some presentations on career skills for the talented musicians who come into the center looking for a place to practice, to connect with other music types and to get referrals for medical care and counseling. I may soon begin doing free career counseling at Nuçi’s, in the forms of workshops and 1-on-1 coaching. I will explain more of the opportunities soon enough in other articles.

Why am I doing this? Because I love art and music. Because I somehow managed to get pulled in to race planning again because I have done it before. But most of all, I am doing these things because I value them and they make sense.

How do you live your values?

Sean Cook is a Life Purpose and Career Coach, based in Athens, GA. He specializes in work with college students and higher ed professionals. Before becoming a certified coach through the Life Purpose Institute, he earned his BA in Political Science and his M.Ed. in Counseling & Guidance Services from Clemson University, and spent over 15 years working full-time as a student affairs professional.