Many of us are like my friend, setting numerous important (as we think) goals every year. This is a normal part of our culture. Being a superwoman and achieving success in every aspect is very trendy.

If you feel stressed and anxious because you have too many plans and tasks, and this is stopping you from enjoying life and getting into a state of flow, you might be experiencing some of the following.

Have you experienced 3 or more of the following signs in the past 6 months?

1. Feeling very tired, even in the morning
2. No energy for socializing with friends or meeting new people
3. Difficulty relaxing
4. Getting irritated easily, even by small things
5. Difficulty sleeping or waking up in the morning
6. Hard to focus on work
7. Lots of procrastination and avoiding tasks
8. Feeling tightness in your chest, stomach pain, or headache

Experiencing these signs could mean you have mental health issues or you are dissatisfied with your life. People who experience these signs often take on too much without understanding their values and priorities, which can lead to tons of stress.

Other signs of living apart from your values:

• Struggle to make decisions
• Difficulty achieving goals and staying motivated
• Trouble saying no
• Struggle to be honest with yourself and others
• Feeling empty and lacking purpose in life
• Difficulty building relationships with others

Let's figure out what you should do to define your personal values. We'll also talk about how to incorporate these values into your life and link them to your goals, so you don't waste your energy on things that don't matter to you.

Step 1. Reflect on what is most important to you

Answer the following questions honestly and write down your answers in any order:

1. What is the most important thing in your life?
2. What can't you live without?
3. Which parts of your life are most important to you?
4. Which ones make you happy?
5. When did you feel most happy and fulfilled in life, thinking things like "This is what life is all about!" or "I love my life."?
6. What were your dreams when you were young? What did they mean to you?

Tip: Don't rush to answer right away, take your time, live with these questions to feel the answers in your heart. You can always come back to the article if you save it or send it to a friend.

Try to avoid imposed stereotypes: family, work, friends. Dig deeper. Look for your values in what you do and love just for the process itself, not to get love or a reward.

Result: After completing this exercise, you should have a list of 10 values that are most important to you in life. These should be things that you cannot imagine living without. Write them down, set them aside, and move on to the next stage.

Just in case, I've made a HUGE value catalog below:

Step 2. Remember your favorite heroes

Think back to your favorite fairy tale, book, cartoon, or movie from when you were a kid. You probably watched it a bunch of times, had the toys, and even dressed up like the characters.

Remembered? Now answer the following questions about this:

• What was this work about? What was its plot?
• Who was the most interesting and main character for you? What attracted you to her/him?
• What mattered to this character and what did they work towards?
• Think about why they did this and what they wanted to get from life.
• What were the main values of this character?

Tip: If it's hard to remember, ask your parents to help you out. But it's better to try and remember on your own. Usually, the first thought is the right one.

Our core values are often embedded in the culture. Millennials will understand this picture below ))) Our values = the values of our heroes.

Result: By looking at your favorite childhood heroes, you can see the values that were taught to you growing up. It's likely that your hero's values are your values too. Write them down and connect them with the previous list.