Identifying your values
A personal discovery exercise to clarify what matters most to you.
What are values?
Values are both qualities of ourselves and action we take. They are what really matter to you. They’re your deepest desires for the person you want to be and the way you want to live as a human being.
Values answer the questions:
What really matters to you, deep in your heart?
What do you want to do with your time on this planet? What sort of person do you want to be?
What personal strengths or qualities do you want to develop?
Exercise:
Print and cut out the cards below.
Round 1: Sort the cards into three columns: “Very Important,” “Important,” and “Not as Important”. Listen to your gut - try not to overthink or confuse what you think you “should” value with what feels true.
Round 2: From the “Very Important” set, narrow the values down to your 6-8 most important.
Round 3: Rank your top cards starting with highest importance.
(I know it might sound tedious to print something out, but there is something viscerally significant in physically moving the words around. If you do not have a printer, check out this worksheet by Russ Harris, an expert on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Once you’ve identified your top 6-8 values, consider:
Where in your life are you living into these values? Are there areas that are not in alignment? If so, what small step can you take to inch closer into living in accordance with what matters most to you?
