Do your actions reflect your values?
“I just don’t get it, Christina.”
My friend was sharing a challenge he was facing with one of his consulting clients.
“They say they want to focus on getting feedback from their customers, to know what will really serve them, but they want to continue to use slow, outdated tools instead of something that will get them in front of customers sooner.”
He was genuinely puzzled at this behavior - why would his consulting client’s actions be so different from their words?
Have you ever observed this kind of obvious conflict in someone else?
It’s easy to see this in others, right?
The employee who says that working in person with their teammates is more effective than being remote, yet “coffee badges” after the Return to Office mandate, staying in the office long enough to say they came.
The leader who says she values her staff, yet constantly reschedules one-on-ones.
The organization that claims to value “failing fast”, yet bases promotions on hitting revenue targets.
We see these things all around us. And yet, we often fail to see this disconnect in our own selves.
When we say we prioritize family, yet take the business call during dinner.
Or that we enjoy an active lifestyle and yet pay for 4 different streaming services.
Or that we like having a role where we can learn and grow, but stay in the same job year after year even when we feel stagnant.
So how do we do better?
Try this experiment:
Pick one thing you value
Keep it simple, and pick one value or principle that you want to lean into right now. Maybe it’s your health, a hobby, a particular skill you want to cultivate, or a relationship you want to prioritize.
Take a look at how your actions do or don’t support this value
Consider how your current behavior, actions, and decisions do or don’t support this value. Be honest with yourself. When you look at your spending, your calendar, and your decisions, are you supporting this value? What could you be doing differently?
Make one change
Identify one thing you could do differently to better honor this value or principle. Is it spending more or less in a particular area? Adjusting your schedule? Creating a new habit, or breaking an old one? Focus first on one change, then build from there as you get momentum.
Often, our inconsistency comes from a failure to be intentional. Things in our world shift, and when we don’t shift with them it’s easy to get into a place where our actions don’t match our values. Taking time to identify what we value, evaluate how our current actions align with this value, and making one change at a time can help us better live into those values and become the person we truly want to be.
What value will you be leaning into this week?
Will you send me a message and share how it’s going? I’d really like to hear from you.
November 13, 2025
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
