From Striving to Living: Choosing a More Intentional, Values‑Rooted Life
- Cindy
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Since semi‑retiring, I’ve been paying closer attention to the connection between my values and my daily choices. A meeting I attended last night reminded me again how easy it is to say we have a list of values we care about, yet rarely pause to compare our actual behavior to what we claim matters most. I haven’t always been intentional about this, but as I approach a new decade of life, I’ve been asking myself whether my values are still the same—or whether some of them need adjusting.
I’m learning that we change throughout our entire lives. As we grow, learn, and experience new seasons, our values may shift too, and that is completely okay. Life is one long practice session. We’re constantly correcting, redirecting, and choosing again—as long as our mindset stays open and adaptable rather than stuck in old patterns.
To help with this process, I created a guide called “The Next Right Step.” It’s a free tool you can use privately to re‑evaluate, discern, and rediscover what your values are and which ones may need updating. This kind of exercise has helped me many times.
When I’m faced with a decision, the first thing I do is look at my values list and ask myself:
“How should I respond to this? Is this a clear yes? Something to pray and discern over? Or a boundary I need to communicate because my values already speak for me?”
This practice helps me step out of striving, release the pressure to be more or do more, and stay content right where I am. It also quiets old people‑pleasing tendencies that no longer serve me. Most importantly, it keeps my decisions aligned with the values I’ve prayerfully discerned with my Creator—so I can move forward with confidence and peace.
If you’d like to use The Next Right Step tool for yourself, you can request it here: Downloadables | Grace U Life Coach I’ll personally email you a PDF version. It was a game changer for me to pause, reflect, and create a compass for living and decision‑making—and it’s completely free.
With grace,
Cindy
I think it's so important to our wellbeing to pay attention to our values in our choices. And even more important to recognize that they can change over time. I like to keep what I've defined as my values someplace I can reference them often, not only as a reminder for daily decision making, but also for evaluating their relevance. When you're going through a transition in life, I think that's the most important time to evaluate your values. Your situation may dictate new values to live by and old ones to let drop. It's never a one time only activity to define your values. Thanks for sharing this important idea and the tool to help!