Personal Values

Sometime in the fall of 2017 I started reading a book called The Daily Stoic. It's been absolutely transformational in how I handle emotionally charged situations, approach challenging work conversations, and evaluate my circumstances. One of the readings had me defining my personal values. I went through the exercise, and below is where I landed.

Before I start, here are the constraints for defining your values:

Good Values are:

Reality-based
Socially constructive
Immediate and controllable

Bad Values are:

Superstitious
Socially destructive
Not immediate or controllable

Values are in rough priority order of what’s most to least important to me.

Jon Motz

Value	Description
Growth	This is the highest value in my catalogue of values. At all times I desire to be growing and learning. This is how I become better at what I do and as an individual, which is very important to me. I can always be learning and growing, and seek environments with the maximum potential for greater growth. I want to be the best human I can be, and only with a growth mindset will I get there.
Meaningful Relationships & Deep Connections	As I’ve aged, I’ve found myself seeking out fewer but more meaningful relationships. I gravitate towards individuals if I feel like there could be a real connection with them. Open, honest, and supportive relationships are the goal.
Passion for my Projects	I’m an individual who likes to throw myself at something. I’m somewhat binary in that I prefer to be all in or all out. I’ve found I’m happiest and do my best work when I have the opportunity to be working on something that I’m deeply passionate about. I don’t like to think of my work as a job. I want my work to be my hobby for which I get paid.
New Experiences	In the spirit of learning, new experiences are the key to growing. I like change and pushing myself in ways I’m unfamiliar. Learning excites me and contributes to me being a better and more worldly human with an increasing EQ.
Integrity	I despise those who lie and act in their own self interest. Personally, I like to think I operate in a highly honest manner, with strong principles that are supportive of not only myself but also those around me.
Kindness in the Service of Others (Generosity Through Action)	I’m a skeptic in that I don’t have confidence in the good of humanity. Humanity is selfish, and most people will choose the inconvenience of others over themselves, when given a very clear and obvious choice. “Kindness in the Service of Others” is about being the change you want to see in the world. It’s about having a pay it forward attitude, but being the starter for all the actions. It’s going out of your way to help others because you know that you will improve someone else’s quality of life, and you should always act in a way you would desire others to act towards you; not just in what’s convenient to you, but going above and beyond.
Understanding the Human Condition	This is achieved through the combination of “Growth” and “New Experiences”. I’m continually intrigued by understanding what motivates people, and why people behave the way that they do. I love learning about the best and brilliant, as well as diving into understanding the most evil and horrendous people. Much of this is driven through pure curiosity, but I feel like it will also help me build more meaningful relationships, as well as better understand how to operate a healthy universal mindset.
Contribution to Society	I want to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to those around me. Ideally it has something to do with Africa, as I want to see Africa flourish beyond what everyone believes it can. Minimally, I desire to be more active in my community and support those in need.
Universal Mindset	Think bigger and beyond yourself. While we exist in a city within a country on a big 'ol planet, we all share the same planet, and our actions can have an impact on every citizen on it. I believe it’s important for humanity to be thinking about how our actions feed into the bigger picture of our entire species. Our environment is critical to our survival, and we need to care for it.

Value

Description

Growth

This is the highest value in my catalogue of values. At all times I desire to be growing and learning. This is how I become

better at what I do and as an individual, which is very important to me. I can always be learning and growing, and seek

environments with the maximum potential for greater growth. I want to be the best human I can be, and only with a

growth mindset will I get there.

Meaningful

Relationships

& Deep

Connections

As I’ve aged, I’ve found myself seeking out fewer but more meaningful relationships. I gravitate towards individuals if I

feel like there could be a real connection with them. Open, honest, and supportive relationships are the goal.

Passion for

my Projects

I’m an individual who likes to throw myself at something. I’m somewhat binary in that I prefer to be all in or all out. I’ve

found I’m happiest and do my best work when I have the opportunity to be working on something that I’m deeply

passionate about. I don’t like to think of my work as a job. I want my work to be my hobby for which I get paid.

New

Experiences

In the spirit of learning, new experiences are the key to growing. I like change and pushing myself in ways I’m

unfamiliar. Learning excites me and contributes to me being a better and more worldly human with an increasing EQ.

Integrity

I despise those who lie and act in their own self interest. Personally, I like to think I operate in a highly honest manner,

with strong principles that are supportive of not only myself but also those around me.

Kindness in

the Service of

Others

(Generosity

Through

Action)

I’m a skeptic in that I don’t have confidence in the good of humanity. Humanity is selfish, and most people will choose

the inconvenience of others over themselves, when given a very clear and obvious choice. “Kindness in the Service of

Others” is about being the change you want to see in the world. It’s about having a pay it forward attitude, but being

the starter for all the actions. It’s going out of your way to help others because you know that you will improve

someone else’s quality of life, and you should always act in a way you would desire others to act towards you; not just

in what’s convenient to you, but going above and beyond.

Understanding

the Human

Condition

This is achieved through the combination of “Growth” and “New Experiences”. I’m continually intrigued by

understanding what motivates people, and why people behave the way that they do. I love learning about the best and

brilliant, as well as diving into understanding the most evil and horrendous people. Much of this is driven through

pure curiosity, but I feel like it will also help me build more meaningful relationships, as well as better understand how

to operate a healthy universal mindset.

Contribution

to Society

I want to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to those around me. Ideally it has something to do with Africa, as I

want to see Africa flourish beyond what everyone believes it can. Minimally, I desire to be more active in my

community and support those in need.

Universal

Mindset

Think bigger and beyond yourself. While we exist in a city within a country on a big 'ol planet, we all share the same

planet, and our actions can have an impact on every citizen on it. I believe it’s important for humanity to be thinking

about how our actions feed into the bigger picture of our entire species. Our environment is critical to our survival,

and we need to care for it.