Why Developing Our Values Are More Important Than Skill Development?
‘Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, , but you leave ’em all over everything you do’ — Elvis Presley
“What is your ambition?”
“Discover and follow your passion”
These two phrases are often randomly thrown around — where the answer usually often revolves around a job or skill set that one masters. During my childhood, I remember being so clueless on what to reply when inquired about my ambition or what kind of job I wanted to do in the future? I would just bluff away and repeat after my friends ambition — and spend the next few days trying find out what do accountants or lawyers really do?
I naively assumed that figuring out your ambition ordeal will end after University. It did not — it just took on another form as “Discover your passion” or “Just follow your passion” became the mantra.
Research and writing are some of the skills set that I have invested a significant amount of time because I enjoy it. But there are many skills that one can acquire in their lifetime. In fact, Malcom Gladwell has mentioned that the ‘10,000 Hour Rule’ as the key to mastering a skill.
However, choosing one or two skill set and spending an entire lifetime never sat in right with me. So, after a lot of brainstorming I have come up with a solution that works for me.
True joy lies in who we become and it is not necessarily attached to a particular profession or skill set. At the end of the day it only matters whether my profession helps me to live by the values that I believe in — while helping me to develop values that I would like to acquire.
The Verdict
From now onward, I have decided to focus on VALUES rather than ambition or passion. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether one is a carpenter, baker or doctor as long as whatever the job is — has enabled them to become a better person. Our professions need to support our core values.
There is an excessive focus in today’s culture on acquiring skills, but I believe that we need jobs and profession to channel our values. The key question is what values would you like to develop in this profession along with skills development.
- Whether my profession allows me to practice the values that I live by
- Whether my profession would help me to work on and acquire a value that I lack?
Values keep changing with age and life-stages — where a couple of values would take precedence over the other. The definition of a value also changes as the person grows and develops
Eventually, it only matters whether our work shapes us to become better human beings.
