The foundation of your inner philosophy is the inner construct that constitutes your generative drive. While the ‘generative drive’ is in itself a concept I’m very excited to write about in the near-future, what you need to know now is this: when your behaviour aligns with your generative drive—aligns with your inner philosophy—you feel fulfilled, grounded and purposeful. Knowing what drives you was the first step, the next is learning to harness it.
This article represents the second installment of a two-part series, concentrating on the practical application of your inner philosophy's foundation. If you haven't yet explored the initial steps to build this foundation, I highly recommend reviewing the first article. There, you'll discover the essential process to develop a robust framework for your inner philosophy, setting the stage for the insights and strategies we discuss here.
So far, I’ve found four specific situations where revisiting the foundation of my inner philosophy proved especially beneficial. Interestingly, each application not only served its immediate purpose but also offered opportunities for deeper learning and further refinement of my foundational concepts. Below, I will briefly touch upon each of them.
Remove the noise from your current life
Starting to apply your inner philosophy can begin with something straightforward: looking at your life right now. Ask yourself, what habits have I got? What principles am I living by? And what goals am I chasing? If these align with the core values and aspirations you’ve identified, that’s fantastic! However, there’s a good chance you’re also investing time and energy into things that don’t really match up with your values (this might include those ‘false beliefs’ you spotted earlier).
Often, we find ourselves doing things that don’t truly resonate with what drives us, leaving us feeling unfulfilled. This can be especially noticeable when you feel like something’s missing, even though your schedule is packed.
Here’s a simple way to tackle this: Try keeping a journal for a week. Write down everything you do. For each thing, note how it made you feel. Did you enjoy it? Did it bring you joy or energy? Then, at the week’s end, look at where each activity fits with your foundational structure.
There are several things that might happen. For example, you may have an activity that has an integrated place in your hierarchy but leaves you more exhausted than fulfilled. An example is social activities with ‘connection’ being one of your core values. While the activity makes sense, it may be hard to connect on the level that you crave for, either due to the people involved or just the general setup of the activity. In such a case and others like it, first try to see if you can change the situation such that it is more aligned with what you want to get out of it, rather than dropping it immediately.
In other cases, you might be doing things that don’t seem to bring you much joy or value and don’t easily fit into your value system. It’s worth considering whether these are instrumental tasks or if there’s a way to view them through a lens that aligns with your values. For example, taking out the trash might not be exciting, but if you value order and cleanliness, it’s a way to live out those values.
These are just two examples, but what I try to illustrate is that you can use the foundation of your inner philosophy to critically assess whether your life is in line of what you value, or whether you’re simply flying autopilot-mode. Remember, this is a deeply personal process and can be quite nuanced, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Toward fulfilling work
Your value foundation can be used in a similar way to assess your current job. Again, start by making a list of the main activities during your average working day. Don’t forget to include things that aren’t part of your ‘working package’ per se, such as lunch and other activities with colleagues, options (or lack thereof) of following courses during working hours, the time you need to commute, etc. Then, assess them in a similar way (and with similar nuance) as explained before.
Now, also think about the bigger picture; in what way does your work contribute to the world? Does your income enable you to live a fulfilling life, or can you do with a little less, working 4 days a week to spend the extra day in your garden or doing voluntary social work? Do the values that represent your employer resonate with your own? How about the people you work with directly? Armed with a clear understanding of your values, you’re now in a better position to answer these questions.
Your work doesn’t need to be 100 percent aligned with your value structure, of course, because unless your work is your life, your work will serve an instrumental purpose (in the form of income) as well. But in any case, its worthwhile to explore the differences and similarities. Sometimes, just recognizing why you chose your job can make it feel more fulfilling. Maybe there are small adjustments you can make, tasks you can delegate, or discussions you can have with your boss to better align your work with what motivates you.
And yes, in some cases, you might be challenged to reconsider your current job altogether. But when you realise that both you and your job change over time, it doesn’t seem so strange to reassess whether the two of you still fit together.
Make decisions, big and small
And that leads us to our third and more future-oriented application of the inner philosophy foundation: making big (and small) decisions.
We make thousand of decisions every day, some big, some small, and most of them unconsciously. When you’ve just started to get a better idea of who you are and where you would like to be going, then the best way to apply your inner foundation is when you have the time to sit down and think, usually when making the bigger decisions.
I already mentioned using your inner philosophy in a career context, but the power of this personal compass needn’t be limited to your job. Other tough choices, such as big expenses (a house, a car or fancy phone), moving to another city or even abroad, taking a break from life to take a two-month holiday, moving in, or separating from your partner… You get the point.
Now, like with the previous applications of your inner philosophy, I don’t mean to imply that this picture you’ve painted of yourself will make these decisions for you. You still have to nuance practical things with uncertainties, not to mention that the picture you painted is (for now at least) blurry at best. But it’s this inner clarity you can turn to when things seem foggy and the right path isn’t clear.
As you practice turning to your values and goals to guide your decisions, you’ll find this process becomes more natural. It’s like getting to know your own personal compass so well that it starts to guide you almost without thinking. The goal is to make decision-making—no matter how big or small—more instinctive, based on a foundation that you’ve built and trust.
Setting goals, aspirations and habits
Imagine you’ve started applying everything we’ve talked about, and things seem to be going well. But, there’s a nagging feeling that something’s missing.
You might recall, from setting up your inner philosophy, that some values and aspirations had a wealth of associated goals, principles, and habits, while others had barely a few. It’s worth taking a closer look at these less represented areas in your value hierarchy.
Here’s a personal anecdote to illustrate: When I first went through this exercise, I visualized my core values as the main roots of a tree, with smaller roots branching off to represent goals, principles, and habits. For the tree to thrive and blossom, every root needs to contribute equally. Neglect one, and the tree’s foundation weakens, risking it all toppling over.
You don’t have to love sappy metaphors to get the point: neglecting any of your core values can lead to a sense of imbalance.
A simple search on the internet can do wonders, and asking your favourite AI chat-bot to come up with examples for habits, goals or principles will quickly bring you some relevant ideas (especially if you ask it for examples that also connect to your other values, I’ve found).
Remember, you don’t need to adopt every suggestion. And not all will fit perfectly into your life. Your values, much like your needs, vary in intensity. Each doesn’t require an equal number of habits, goals, or principles to feel fulfilled. However, exploring how you can support your less prominent values can bring unexpected energy and satisfaction into your life. It’s definitely worth your time to experiment and see what works for you.
Finding yourself
Finally, and perhaps most crucially, this journey leads to a profound self-discovery. Understanding what makes a life feel purposeful and fulfilling to you is the bedrock of living authentically.
The process of establishing your inner philosophy is a significant first step towards this understanding. Yet, it’s in the ongoing application and regular reflection against your real-life experiences, the major decisions you face, and those quiet, persistent yearnings that truly teach you about yourself. These moments offer invaluable insights, gradually revealing a clearer image of who you are.
It’s through engaging with your life’s complexities, its highs and lows, and the choices that define your path, that you’ll uncover what genuinely fulfils you. This self-awareness isn’t just about identifying your passions and dislikes; it’s about understanding your deepest values, the motivations behind your actions, and the dreams that stir your soul.
In embracing this continuous exploration, you’re not just finding yourself in the present; you’re also shaping who you aspire to be. Each reflection, each decision made from a place of deep personal understanding, adds another layer to your self-concept, making the picture of who you are—and who you’re becoming—ever clearer and more vibrant.
