How Discovering My Core Values Made Me a Better Entrepreneur

You're reading How Discovering My Core Values Made Me a Better Entrepreneur, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

We live in a culture where more is always great.

More money, more power, more prestige, more everything.

But is it more always the answer?

I’m not going to tell you that having more it’s wrong.

It’s fantastic to have more of what actually matters to you.

Not in general like TV and even your favorite music videos tell you about.

I discovered this after closing a record-breaking contract for my new startup Astrogrowth.

I felt disconnected, and that’s how I solved it.

Keep reading to discover how you can have more of what matters.

From Zero to One Hundred

When I told some of my childhood friends that I turned down a big contract for my new startup, they all blamed me.

I come from a small town in the South of Italy where the youth unemployment rate it’s about 50%, which means one young individual over two it’s unemployed.

Poverty it’s all around you when you go there unless you remain in the tourist areas.

And I didn’t have much myself, as I’ve bootstrapped my new company with the savings I had.

When I closed this contract with a medical corporation back in August, I was ecstatic.

I did have some financial success in the past with my company. But nothing was close to this achievement at 24 years old.

I’ve proved all my “haters” wrong. All the people that didn’t believe in me.

But was that the most important thing?

Back to Your Why

I felt weird like things didn’t align after I started to work with my client. It took me months to realize what was happening.

I started working all day every day for this, making ends meet with this contract and the other ones I had.

I realized I was neglecting my girlfriend, my family, and everything I enjoy doing.

Until I thought back at why I actually decided to go into business on my own.

After graduating from a top University, I had the world in my hands. I had a decent experience for my age, and I had the credentials to start a successful career scaling the corporate ladder.

That was until my mom had an illness (she’s fine nowadays, fortunately.) When this happened, the mere thought that I couldn’t be next to her because I had finals the week she was getting surgery broke my heart. But most importantly, it made me realize my priorities.

Less Is More

Since then, everything changed for me. I fired that client because I realized that it didn’t even make a difference for me. I was earning a healthy income even without that, and often times, less is more.

Isn’t crazy how many times we do things without even double thinking if they’re aligned with what we genuinely care about?

I had enough money, time, and resources to travel and have a great with my loved ones.

Yet, I’ve sacrificed that for more money without a proper answer to the “why?”.

Funny enough, with the added time to focus on the tasks in my business I value the most, I ended up having one of my best months profit-wise for my company the month after I fired that client.

What Comes First For You

What do you tend to prioritize in life? What is truly important for you?

I took a notepad back then and started to write down all my core values.

Having control over my time and life.

Feeling vibrantly healthy and alive.

My family and relationships.

Contribution, learning, personal growth.

These were all things I was neglecting when I pulled my intense schedule to make more money and brag to people I don’t even care about.

These are your ultimate core values, and if you haven’t yet, it’s time for you to discover them.

Always remain aware of these core values when you make important decisions.

Quoting Seneca, ““A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of his life.”

It’s your life at stake.

You've read How Discovering My Core Values Made Me a Better Entrepreneur, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

by Angelo Sorbello via Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement