Thread by @ashleyruba

When I was deciding whether to change careers, what helped me most was finding my core values.

What values are most important in your life? Are you making decisions based on these values?

Here’s how you can determine your core values & make any big life decision:

1/

First, brainstorm your values. You can even rank order them.

If you don’t know where to start, look at a list. Think about which ones resonate with you.

What makes you feel happiest & most fulfilled? If people said, “you’re such a X person”, would that be validating?

2/

My top core values are:

1. Growth, both personal & professional

2. Openness, to people & experiences

3. Kindness, to myself & others

I also resonate with honesty, bravery, calmness, ambition, creativity, brilliance, fun, & diversity.

There are no right or wrong answers!

3/

Then, consider your big decision. For me, it was whether I wanted to stay in academia & try to become a prof, or whether I wanted to find an #altac job.

I wanted to make my decision based on growth, openness, & kindness. What decision would allow me to live these values?

4/

My 💡 moment happened when I realized that I wanted to stay in academia because it was all I knew. It was familiar. And I was scared.

These weren’t my values!

I’m not scared of growth or new experiences. And staying certainly wasn’t the kind thing for my mental health.

5/

So I changed careers. And it was hard!

But saying goodbye to my academic identity allowed me to grow 🌿

By being open to new experiences, I found a job that I loved more than my academic job 🌈

And I am finally free of academic criticism, so I can be kind to myself 🌸

6/

I’ve come back to my values time & time again - every time I have a hard decision to make. It’s been so grounding and useful.

What are your core values? 💛

/end