This week’s Monday Challenge is a doozy. It’s not quick, it’s not painless, and it’s not easy.

Time to assess the values you hold versus the life you are living.

It’s a myth that career paths travel in straight lines. Holes are in the road, diversions are necessary, and many people have experienced years or even decades of going in one direction only to realize they should have chosen a different path all together.

Today is a good day to do a values assessment, which is basically answering one question: is what you are doing now in alignment with what you believe, support, and need in your life?

Some fringe questions around this topic:

• Do the people you work to elevate you, push you to be better, and encourage growth? Or do you feel trapped, stuck, held down, and used? Or somewhere in-between?
• Are you surrounded by leaders (who want to see you succeed) or dictators (who want to keep you in their vision, in your place)?
• At the end of the day have you achieved results that give you satisfaction and more than adequate compensation?
• Do your personal values align with those that you work with and for? Are you able to achieve more than just making a paycheck appear?

Like I said, this is heavy stuff. Not easy.

But essential.

Take 30 minutes today to unplug the computer, switch the phone to airplane mode, sit down with a pen and paper (and maybe a glass of Pinot) and think about the big picture. You only have one life, so live it the way you want.