Do you “walk the talk” when it comes to your values? A big part of living a happy and harmonious life is when your actions and values are aligned.
There’s often a “behavior gap” between what we value vs. how we act.
We say we value “family,” but we don’t spend a lot of quality time with them or check in. We say we value “health,” but we rarely exercise or skip dessert. We say we value “education,” but we don’t ever read new books or learn new skills.
Sound familiar? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Life is complex and we’re all imperfect – we say one thing but do another. Everyone is a little hypocritical.
However, this hypocrisy can also be the source of a lot of dissatisfaction and displeasure.
A big part of living a happy and harmonious life is when your values and actions are aligned. If you only preach about your values, but never “walk the talk,” you’re likely going to feel a deep disconnect in your life.
As Gandhi is famously quoted as saying, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” That’s what it means to be authentic. It’s easier said than done, but it’s a wise principle to live by.
One new study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies looked into a new Positive Psychology intervention known as “Acting on Values.” It was a novel 6 week online program designed to increase well-being by focusing on “value-related actions in daily life.”
First, participants were asked to identify their most important core values. Values are going to differ from person to person, but popular choices may include, “Family,” “Health,” “Career,” “Religion,” “Community,” “Kindness,” or “Goals/Hobbies.”
In the study, participants were asked to choose just ONE value to act on each week.
They were instructed to write a “diary entry” that included answering questions such as:
- On a scale of 1-10, to what extent did you manage to implement your plan from last week?
- Describe what you did to achieve it. What actions did you take?
- What value do you plan to address in the coming week?
- Describe what you intend to do to implement this value in your life. What actions do you want to take?
These questions were answered at the end of each week for the duration of the study.
In general, keeping track of new habits (whether it’s through a notebook, diary, productivity app, or whiteboard) is a simple but effective way to make small changes to your daily or weekly routine. Plus it just feels good when you get to check off a new habit like “Go to the gym,” or “Practice guitar,” or “Go to church.”
Participants were also provided with reading materials that focused on: 1) The role of values, 2) The advantages of knowing one’s value hierarchy and acting accordingly, 3) Factors influencing which values are most important to people (including cultural factors), and 4) The importance of regularity in acting on values.
Results showed that those who participated in the “Acting on Values” program reported higher levels of life satisfaction, positive emotions, and eudaimonic well-being compared to the control group, as well as lower levels of negative emotions overall.
“Eudaimonic well-being” is a type of happiness that is derived by doing things we find meaningful and purposeful. It’s often contrasted with “hedonic well-being,” which is a type of happiness derived by doings things we find pleasurable.
It’s healthy to be able to translate your values into actions. If you value something, but you don’t know what that looks like in the real world, then you have to start thinking of your values in more practical and concrete ways.
Lofty “ideals,” “principles,” and “beliefs” are only abstractions if they don’t actually change the way you live. However, even big visions for the future can always be broken down into small and realistic goals.
Want to change some aspect of the world? Start by donating to an organization that shares your values, voting for candidates you believe in, volunteering in a way you can help, or taking part in activism that makes a difference.
There’s always something that is in your power to accomplish.
What’s one small action you can take this week to fulfill one of your values?
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