What is valuable to you? Besides material things like a gold block or diamond ring, what holds value in your life? Is it your relationships, history, or your community? Do you value growth, honesty, or politics? Maybe you value the arts, your free time, or animals.

We all have different values and it’s a good habit to protect them.

Describe the habit of protecting your values

To protect your values, you must first know what they are. Ask yourself what is most important to you. You can value many things, but what are your top three?

Take some time to intentionally think about this. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits has come up with a list of core values. This is a good place to start if you’re unsure how to go about determining yours. This article from MindTools also helps you sort out your values.

Once you’ve determined your top values, you can take steps to protect them. This means setting aside time for them, making sure you’re incorporating them into your life, spending energy toward them, and not allowing other events to override them.

I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you value time with your family. If that’s a core value, you’ll make sure to have a job that doesn’t infringe on this time. You’ll devote enough energy to be present and engaged when you’re with your family. And protecting this time with your family means saying no to other requests of your time.

Or let’s say you value the art of cooking. You’ll devote time to look at recipes, plan your meals, and shop for the best ingredients. If this’s truly something you value, you won’t run through a fast food place for dinner but protect your value of the art of cooking.

The same goes for valuing your hobby, a cause, or leisure. You’ll spend time, energy, and money to make sure your values are protected.

Why is it a good habit to protect YOur values?

Your values bring meaning and fulfillment to your life. It’s a good habit to be intentional about protecting those things that are most important to you. Instead of floating through life reacting to the demands and requests for your time, you’ll easily say yes and no based on protecting your values.

My top three values are wellness, growth, and creativity. If I want to spend my time wisely, get the most out of life, and love those around me the best way possible, I’ll protect these values. The way I protect my wellness is by caring for my body, mind, and spirit. I protect growth by reading books, listening to podcasts, watching videos, and being curious to learn new things. And because I value creativity, I spend time observing and enjoying nature and the arts.

Just like we protect our passwords or anything expensive, it’s good to protect your values because if they’re not protected, they can be stolen. Just like we can misplace physical things if we’re not careful, it’s the same with our values. We’ll lose the joy of them if we aren’t intentionally focused on protecting our valuables.

It’s good to protect your values because without doing this, your life won’t be as worthwhile. Heritage, for example, is something that’s rich and valuable to many. Without protecting the ideas, habits, and beliefs of your culture’s traditions, they can be lost.

Protecting your values also preserves them for future generations. Often parents value something highly and pass that love and interest on to their children. Without an intentional effort to make your values a priority, they might disappear.

Another benefit of protecting your values is that doing this can provide security. When you’re caring for what is most important to you, you’ll feel stability, less stress, and comfort.

How can you form the habit of protecting your values?

Most of us go through life without specifically calling out what we value. There are so many good things to value that this task can be overwhelming. I get it! Use one of the resources linked above to hone in on this extremely important part of your life.

Awareness is a necessary first step.
Allocate resources such as time, money, and energy to your values.
Find others who have similar values. Learn from them, encourage each other, and expand your perspective.
Set boundaries around your values. This isn’t an offensive weapon but a defensive tool. It doesn’t attack anyone else’s values but protects yours.