I found this great printable on http://www.plantlovegrow.com/vision–self-knowledge.html that helps you explore your values. Why should I do that you ask?  Well, sometimes we need to go back to basics and discover who we really are. We need to get to our core values to see are we being really true to ourselves or have we lost our way.

This is by no means a religious exercise, everyone has a core set of values they work/live by in their everyday lives and these can change as we grow older. If you have been feeling off lately or a lot off-kilter lately, then I think you’ll find that you are no longer being your true self. Being who we truly are is important, no matter what others have to say that’s just their opinion and like you, they are entitled to it. But this is your life and you get to live it your way. How far you’ve let that happen will depend on how you have been feeling lately. I’m not just talking about everyday stress in our lives. I’m talking about feeling like you just don’t know yourself or what you’re doing with your life anymore.

When you feel like this, firstly you have to talk to someone you can trust and/or your doctor to rule out any medical conditions and addictions. Then you need to look at your values system to see how far off centre you have become.  You may have to begin by asking yourself: Do I know what my values really are? Do I know what the word value means? It means the principles or standards of behaviour you live your life by or how you judge how your life should be lived. This is why it is so important to identify your values if you don’t know what you believe then whose values have you adopted over the years, are they true to you or true to someone else? Am I living my life or someone else’s?

Do you need to start questioning every aspect of your life if you need to? You need to list everything you have on your to-do list now and decided what are your priorities now? Have they changed over the past year? Do I need to hand things over to someone else because it really is their job to complete this task and not mine? Your time is precious and should be prioritized to what you want to do in your life. It is no less important than anyone else’s time.

This value pdf (ABOVE) is only the starting point, I would then start keeping a journal about how I feel about my life. Don’t forget to finish your journal page with three things you’re grateful for. You never know how much this will improve your outlook on life until you try it. If you need any further help with this please speak to a therapist, talking things through before making any life-altering decisions will help you to gain clarity.

Always remember to seek your doctor’s help if you or a loved one need advice.