• Use a Process of Inquiry
Your values reside within you, and a process of inquiry allows you to discover or reconnect with what’s in your heart. Questions, asked by an executive coach or someone you trust, are a good way to get at what you care about. Deep inquiry can reveal your values or intensify your connection to them and reaffirm your commitment to political work.

Make use of questions designed to integrate the heart and mind. For instance, the answer to “What is important about the person you most admire?” will reveal much about your core values because it will show you traits that you want to exhibit in your own life but haven’t fully expressed.

Also, using questions that give you insight to another’s experience will allow you to look more deeply inside yourself.
• What political leaders inspire you?
• What about their accomplishments motivate you?
• How have they handled themselves in difficult times?
• What qualities do you admire in them? How do they engender your respect?

The “wisdom” your heart conveys will help shape your political purpose and actions. Keeping track of your values and acknowledging when you’re acting in alignment with them will keep you inspired and motivated to persevere.

• Explore Your Accomplishments
Describe one of your greatest accomplishments. Look for what was most important about it for you. What you focus on may also reveal core values. For example, one of my political leadership coaching clients revealed that her greatest accomplishment was securing legislation for the building of a new community center. When she described the experience, she focused on the teamwork involved in getting the legislation passed. After further exploration, we realized that teamwork and collaboration were core values for her.

• Let Your Imagination Speak
Imagine yourself 10, 15 or 20 years from now, standing on stage with thousands of people in the audience. You are receiving an award for your political service. As you look back, what would you say was your vision? Your message? What did you accomplish? Hold that image of yourself as you return to the present. Focus on leaders who have already had the kind of impact you aspire to have—Wangari Mathai, Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela. Would you like to be the next John F. Kennedy, Rosa Parks or Theodore Roosevelt? This is the kind of inspired—and inspiring—leader you can be when you know what truly motivates your actions.

Remember that your values are already a part of you. As you reflect on these questions, you are not making decisions about what you value—you are discovering or reaffirming what is genuinely of most importance to you. Let what you learn guide your political focus and direction.

I found that tracking my activities for a week (in fifteen minute increments) was a real eye opener. What you spend time on is what you’re valuing. When you know how you spend your time, you can notice patterns and make changes if you need to.