When I was much younger (a time when I thought I was invincible) I had one significant incongruent value. That was the value around my physical health. At barbecues or off-site business meetings I would tell the world that my physical health was important. However, I lived a different paradigm. I was all talk and no behavior. It wasn't until about two years ago that my mouth, mind and heart came together. I won't bore you with my routines for physical health, but I am in the best shape of my life.
Keep in-mind that incongruent values don't make you a bad person, but they do reveal that something is "off" in your life. The choice to do something about it is totally up to you. I took action when the storm clouds started to gather. Funny how time and reality conspire to move us.
When I wrote Waking Up In Corporate America, my urgency around doing what I say increased dramatically. I wanted to make sure that I was living up to the coaching I was dispensing. We all need mechanisms in our lives to drive accountability.
Marshall Goldsmith has a great post on Why We Don't Do What We Say. Marshall's perspectives are spot on. The ideas are not new, but give a needed reminder of how important our actions are.
Remember, life is a limited time offer. You won't get a do-over.
Congruence! What a powerful tool! Probably, there wouldn’t be any gap between my intentions and results if I simply “walk-my-talk”:-)