Should you go part-time? Take the referral job? Move practice? Leave clinical work altogether? When a big decision is sitting on your chest, it's tempting to look for the answer in job adverts, pros and cons lists, or what everyone else is doing.
But the answer usually starts somewhere else: with what actually matters to you.
Why values help
Values are the things that make life feel like yours. Not goals you tick off, but directions you keep walking in: things like connection, learning, fairness, freedom, creativity or calm.
When work is in line with your values, even hard days feel worth it. When it pulls against them, even good days can leave you feeling flat or uneasy. A lot of the "I don't know why I feel like this" we hear in vetmed turns out to be a values clash.
Values-based approaches are used widely in psychology and coaching because they help people make choices that feel right for them, rather than right on paper.
A simple way to find yours
Grab a pen. Give yourself ten minutes.
- Think of a time you felt really alive at work. What was happening? Who was there? What were you doing?
- Now think of a time you felt drained or uneasy. What was missing, or what was being crossed?
- Look for the thread. Maybe the good day was full of teamwork and learning, and the bad one was rushed and lonely. Connection and growth might be two of your values.
- Pick your top three to five. Write them somewhere you'll see them.
Don't worry about getting it perfect. Values shift a little as life changes, and that's fine.
Using them in a decision
Hold each option up against your values. Which one gives you more of what matters? Which one asks you to give up something important? It won't make the decision for you, but it often makes it clearer.
And sometimes it reveals something surprising: that you don't need to leave, you need practice to work differently for you. We see that time and time again.
If you'd like more help with this, Day 2 of our free 3-Day Reset is all about reconnecting with what matters to you, beyond the expectations and the "shoulds". It's free, with a reflective workbook.
If you'd like a bit more
The 21 Day Reconnect takes under five minutes a day for 21 days, with a workbook to help you reconnect with what matters and notice what you want more of. It's 3 hours of CPD, from £55 + VAT. If you're at a crossroads and want to get clear before you decide anything, it's a gentle, practical place to begin.
