Six Ways to Do a Better Job of Valuing Your Value

Value your value. 
 I have heard this advice many times from the coaches in a transformational coaching program. I wondered what value your value really meant, though.

So, I asked the coaches for clarification, and I looked up the definition of “value.” Generally, the word means: the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

Let’s break the phrase down.

Your Actual Value

First, there is your value. Your value is the amount of importance or worth you have and the worth of what you provide for others or do in the world. This is a fact, not opinion—especially not your opinion.

Then there is how you value your value, or the importance and worth you believe you deserve. This is the value you give to yourself and your contribution. It is based solely on your interpretation of what you bring to the table in any situation and likely is not fact.

Other people can decide on your value, but how they value your value is, to a great extent, about them, not about you. How you value yourself is about you and how you see and feel about yourself. Your actual value may be quite different than how you value your value.

Money and Value

Money provides a clue as to how you value your value. This is where I saw clearly that I was not valuing my value.

I’ve been a nonfiction book and author coach, as well as a transformational coach, for a long time. I’ve even been a Certified High Performance Coach for six years. Yet, the prices I put on my coaching services and programs, like the Inspired Creator Community and Nonfiction Writers University, have not reflected my experience, skill level, or ability to help clients achieve results.

I didn’t raise my prices because I didn’t believe my audience would pay higher fees. That fact means I didn’t value my value enough to charge what I was worth and deserved because I didn’t believe people would pay that amount.

Value and Self-Esteem

To be honest, I felt lousy about charging less than the value I provided. In fact, when I would get paid, I’d wonder, “Is that all I’m really worth?” And my self-esteem would plummet.

My low prices affirmed that I didn’t believe the services I provided were of a higher value—even though they were. And my prices reflected the fact that I didn’t value myself and what I offered either.

Basically, my prices broadcast to the world that I didn’t value my value. So, why would anyone else value my value?

After being told over and over again to raise my prices, I finally listened to my coaches. I know I need to raise prices even more, but, at the moment, I feel much better about how I have valued my value as a coach.

Life Reflects How You Value Your Value

Valuing your value is not just about money. That’s just one area of your life that reflects how you value your value.

For instance, what you tolerate in any situation—personal or professional—also reflects how you value your value. I can look at some of my relationships and see how they reflect my beliefs about my worth and what I deserve.

In fact, relationships are a huge mirror in which you can clearly see how you feel about yourself. When I looked in that mirror, I noticed that I was devaluing myself in this life arena, too.

Look at your life. Consider each situation as an opportunity to see how you value your value. Where are you devaluing yourself—or not valuing yourself at all?

Six Ways to Value Your Value

If you, like me, want to do a better job of valuing your value, there are various ways to do so.

1. Price your services and products in accordance with what they are worth and what you deserve to get paid. In other words, raise your prices.
2. Acknowledge what you give or contribute in all situations. Make a list of the ways you bring value to the world; acknowledge those things consistently. Also, every day, acknowledge how you brought value.
3. When others don’t value your value, affirm the value you provide. Remember, they interpret your value; that interpretation is theirs—not yours (and it’s none of your business). Stand up for your value—even if you do this with and for yourself alone.
4. Stop tolerating other people not valuing your value. Affirm your worth. You are worthy of being treated well.
5. Show yourself that you value your value. There are lots of ways to do this, like going on a vacation, buying the car you’ve always wanted, or allowing yourself to get a weekly massage. I purchase expensive clothes that feel great on me—rather than shopping at discount stores. For me, this affirms that I am worthy and deserving of clothes purchased at full price. When I wear them, I feel as if I am valuing my value.
6. Don’t try to make anyone else value your value. You can only do that for yourself.

Train Yourself to Value Your Value

We aren’t trained to value our value. Typically, we are taught to be modest and play down what we are worth. Sometimes, we are even told that we don’t deserve to be valued highly, and then we go through life believing that.

Train yourself to value your value. Look at what your life is reflecting. Which parts of your life reflect a lack of value for your value, and which ones show that you do, indeed, value your value?

Know this: You have value. What you contribute to the world is also valuable.

I’ll tell you the same thing my coaches told me: value your value.

If you don’t, no one else will either.

Do you value your value? How can you do that at a higher level? Tell me in a comment below, and please share this post with someone who is not valuing their value.