Discover Your Core Values
Values allow you to reconnect with yourself when lost and to gain clarity on priorities. They empower you to work through moral dilemmas, evaluate life choices against core beliefs, and explore conflicts impacting your well-being. When you understand your core values, it's easier to progress through stages of change, reduce impulsivity, and set meaningful, achievable goals on your personal growth journey. Follow the steps in this activity to uncover yours!
Step 1: Think of a particular area in your life e.g. career, family, relationships etc. and write down all values that resonate with you from the list above (You can alternatively think of your life as a whole and explore your “core life” values.). Write down as many values from the list as you like. You will refine them in the next step of the exercise. Add your own values if they are not included in the list above.
Step 2: Review what you have written down and start to group similar values together (e.g., achievement, success, recognition etc).
Step 3: Once you have your main groups, refine your values further by identifying the most important value from each group. If this top value is fulfilled, the others would be met by default (e.g. achievement might be top value out of the group of achievement, success, recognition etc.).
Step 4: Next, refine the list of top values even further by selecting 3 to 5 core top values that truly resonate with you and represent the essence of what is most important to you. You can do this by asking yourself, is this top value more important than the rest? Iterate through your list until you have your 3 to 5 core values.
Now that you have identified your core values, reflect on the following:
Think of a time when you felt intense fulfillment. Which of these values were being met?
Think of a time that you acted in a way that conflicted with these values. How did you feel?
How much does your current behavior or environment match these values?
How have your values shifted over time? What was the reason?
Do these values align with your desired self and life direction?
What is one thing you can do this week that aligns with your values?