As the world of work keeps changing, you need a reliable compass to navigate and find your way. Your identity is that compass and your values are the most important part of it. They express what matters to you, what you consider good and right, and why.

The tricky part is that we may live by values we have adopted and are merely complying with. We live on autopilot. Yet, if your values are not authentic and personally meaningful, they do not motivate you and help you flourish. It is not that they are unimportant or wrong values – they are just wrong for you.

Another challenge with values is that they are easily espoused but more difficult to live by. A simple test of your values is to consider what you spend your time on. Moreover, values can change as your priorities shift. Therefore, it is important to revisit them every so often.

Perhaps the biggest value-based decision we make in our careers is the choice of what we actually want to work on. What values does this choice express?