A deep dive into values

What are they? Why do they matter? And how do we act on them?

(This voiceover is an audio version of the newsletter below. As always, it’s unedited. If you like/need to listen to these posts I hope you enjoy it!)

Mates! Happy New Year!

I hope you’ve had some lovely slow moments over the past couple of weeks, and that you were able to spend time with loved ones.

As promised, I’ve got two letters scheduled for you during January*, this being the first. It’s all about the transformative power of personal values and is an invitation to either dig into the question of your values for the first time, or revisit them if you’ve done this work previously.

I’ve dropped the paywall on the Values Retreat I ran for paying members last year, and will be keeping the three-part series free until I come back to my desk on Feb 1st.

I want to open up this workshop for three reasons:

1. Knowing our values gives us a strong foundation on which to build a life of practical and realistic intention — and I couldn’t think of a better time to do this kind of inner work than the (typically) quieter days of early January.

2. It’s helpful and transformative to regularly check in with our values. Even if you’ve done this work before, coming back to it can help us recalibrate our priorities, let things go or invite new things in.

3. Having your values top of mind will be helpful for anyone looking to join in with this year’s 1% group experiment. Either because of the priorities you uncover or because your 1% efforts could relate directly to living a more values-aligned life.

Values work is always empowering and I hope it’s a positive way to begin your year. I certainly plan on revisiting mine over the break and am curious to see what I learn (or relearn, as is often the case).

If you’re ready to dive into values, the retreat comes in three parts that will help you learn how to identify and define your personal values, and use them to make daily choices that add up to an aligned life.

Each lesson includes a video, worksheets and a personal practice for the week ahead that will help you dive a little deeper into the question of what’s important to you:

• Part One: We explore the big picture of values — what they are, why they matter and, most importantly, how to identify and define yours

• Part Two: Make your values real — learn how to put them into practical terms and use them as the foundation on which to build a values-aligned life

• Part Three: A 60-minute Q&A which covers many of the most common obstacles faced throughout the workshop. Think: how to tell the difference between a tool and a value, what I mean when I say I'm anti-balance, how many values we should have, how to know when our values change, and a whole lot more.

If you’re feeling creative or restless or confused at the beginning of the new year, try to harness that feeling and use it to explore your values.

That might mean journaling on the questions you find in each of the videos, or pulling out your glue and scissors and vision-boarding a whole heap of images that help bring to mind your values. Maybe you want to hike it out or draw a picture to go with your values work — whatever it is, just let yourself be curious.

I’m excited to hear what you discover!

There’s one more letter scheduled to arrive in your inbox on January 18, where I talk about the 1% experiment a little more. Keep an eye out for that, and in the meantime, enjoy the unique energy of January. Whether that’s summer or winter or something in between.

If you’re new to The Tortoise (hello!) and want to make sure you receive the next letter, please feel free to subscribe below, that way, you won’t miss a thing.

Until next time, take good care,
Brooke xx

*Just a reminder that we’re currently taking a break. I won’t see comments or emails until I’m back at my desk on Feb 1, but please feel free to share your experience or ask questions and I’ll get back to you when I’m back online. 💚