We are delighted to introduce Lindsay Taylor FInstAM, Director at Your Excellency Limited, as our 2026 Professional Development columnist. February is one of her favourite monthsโnot least for Valentineโs Dayโand her article is particularly fitting as it highlights the importance of aligning your values with your EA/PA role. You can read her insights and more in the new PA Life Spring 2026 Issue, which is now available online.
Why aligning your values with your EA/PA role matters โ and how to do it
In a profession that thrives on organisation, anticipation and seamless support, itโs easy for EAs, PAs and admin professionals to focus so fully on others that they forget to check in with themselves. Yet one truth holds steady across all high-performance roles: when you love what you do and intentionally weave what you love into the way you work, your energy, fulfilment and resilience rise significantly.
This idea sits at the heart of Schwartz and McCarthyโs Harvard Business Review article, โManage Your Energy, Not Your Time.โ They argue that sustainable high performance comes not from squeezing more into your day, but from aligning your work with the activities that energise you. Psychologists call this โharmonious passionโ: the kind of motivation that fuels creativity, commitment and confidence. This principle is particularly powerful for EAs and PAs.
Why alignment values with your EA/PA role matters
1. Energy increases when work feels meaningful. Tasks that incorporate your strengths and passions replenish rather than drain you.
2. You show up authentically. When your work reflects your values (such as service, excellence, creativity or connection), you build trust and rapport more easily.
3. Youโre more resilient. Challenges feel easier to navigate when you are anchored to a deeper purpose.
4. You grow faster. We naturally learn more, and enjoy learning more, when weโre invested in the subject.
How to identify what you love if youโre unsure where to start, try the following
โข Notice your โenergy spikes.โ
Across a week, jot down moments where you felt absorbed, motivated or proud. What were you doing? Who were you interacting with?
โข Reflect on your values.
Ask yourself: What matters most to me in my work? Service? Efficiency? Creativity? People? Progress? Your values act as a compass.
โข Analyse your strengths.
Conduct a regular Personal SWOT. How to bring more of what you love into your daily role.
How to bring more of what you love into your daily role
โข Volunteer for tasks that match your energy sources – whether thatโs event coordination, project management or communication..
โข Redesign small parts of your workflow. If creativity energises you, explore new templates or digital tools.
โข Create โenergy rituals.โ Short habits that restore you – a morning planning session, a mid-day reset or an end-of-day reflection.
โข Have open conversations with your Executive. Share what drives you. Explore ways to expand your
responsibilities in those areas. When you love what you do, and actively shape your role to include what you love, you donโt just perform better. You thrive. And thriving EAs and PAs make the whole organisation stronger.
When you love what you do, and actively shape your role to include what you love, you donโt just perform better. You thrive. And thriving EAs and PAs make the whole organisation stronger.
For more on our seasonal PA Life Magazine, check this out here.
