10 Ways to Create Value in What you Do

Value, according to google, is the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable. We create value every time: at work, at home, with friends…

There are two kinds of value, weak value, and strong value. I prefer to keep this differentiation simple. You are either providing great value, or you aren’t.

For example, let’s say you want to create a website with the intention to help people find a new home. You could simply create a database system similar to craiglist, or you could design a rich interface with suggestions for your customers and recommendations. You’ll create a website in both ways, but the second one will provide more value to the final user.

Advantages of creating great value

Creating strong value is great by itself, but it also provides a lot of advantages for yourself. Let’s see what could happen if you started to create more value in your life.

• You would be noticed. If you are working for someone else, it’ll make a big difference if you are providing real value or not, and the likelihood of you being noticed would increase dramatically if you do.


• You would get more back. If you are constantly adding more and more each day, you’ll start to get more and more in return from your actions. Returning to the previous example, if you are paid to produce ten, but you constantly produce 20, your boss will eventually pay you more because it would be expensive for him to let you go. Note: this also apply if you are self employed.


• You would develop discipline. Doing your best is a great way to enforce your discipline. If you spend your days doing useless tasks with little or no motivation, you’ll become accustomed to it. But if you are doing the best that you can in every opportunity, your inner self will start to accept it as your default state, and you’ll end up killing procrastination and laziness.

How to create value

The following is a list of 10 things you can do everyday to provide great value.

1. Know what you want. The first step to provide strong value is to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. It may be an idea, or a product or service, but you have to clarify what it is before you start doing anything.


2. Use visualization. Our mind does not distinguish between reality and imagination, therefore it’s very useful to imagine the whole process inside your head and visualize the ideal output before trying to do it physically.


3. Give before you get. Remember that the point of creating strong value is to help someone else, so you should always think in terms of someone else’s eyes. What would make a big difference for your audience?


4. Don’t wait for motivation. Sometimes you’ll tend to procrastinate instead of doing your task. Don’t wait for motivation to come, start doing it anyway and you’ll be motivated along the way.


5. If you have to do it, do it well. Seriously, even if you hate your day job, you’d better do it well, or at least do yourself a favor and search for something better and this time do it well.


6. Listen. Sometimes you don’t know in advance what could make your product or idea the best. Listen to your customers or those who will use your service and try to perceive what they really want from you.


7. Go a step further. If you want to provide strong value, you have to provide something more. One ways to do this is to provide more than what’s expected.


8. Excel in the details. If you want to make a difference, you have to excel in everything you do. That means you can be the best web designer in the world, but if you are not able to publish a web page you’ll have a big limitation.


9. Double check what you did. This tip is particularly useful for writers. Every good writer knows that he/she needs to check and rewrite a lot of times before publishing a work. Doing it helps because the first time you do something you are too concerned about the details, while the second time you can see the big picture.


10. Use your fantasy. It’s difficult to create great value if you just keep doing what everyone else is doing. Use your imagination and figure out new ways to accomplish your goals.

Real world value

I recorded a video to show you a few examples of creating value.

A note about the video

Please understand that this was my first video and I really lack experience. Also English it’s not my primary language and I rarely speak it with someone else, that’s why my accent sucks :D

Posted on October 12 2009

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