Values are the beliefs, ideals, motivators, and characteristics uniquely important to us. Certain non-negotiables and personal decision-making tools are ingrained in our minds and hearts, and we don’t even realize their impact on our perception or behavior.
While our prioritized goals can change, our deep-rooted values generally don’t change. It’s important to periodically check in on your values and prioritized goals to ensure you are living in alignment. The more you align to live according to your values, the more peace and joy you will find in your career.
Another benefit to knowing your values is to identify better what triggers you. If and when you are in a situation that has you deeply bothered, consider which of your values might not be honored by what’s happening.
After completing your Values work in the following activities of this exercise, you should better understand what you stand for. Remember, the more truthful you are, the more valuable and helpful the information will be to you now and in the future.
If you value peace, perhaps your purpose includes helping others find peace. If you value connection, maybe your goal involves creating community wherever you go. If you value joy, your objective might be assisting others to live more lightly in a heavy world. If you value learning, your purpose could involve enabling growth in others.
Your values are the guiding principles that fuel the work that allows you to meet your purpose. CareerTruth helps you keep them front of mind.
List of Potential Values
Achievement – Successful attainment
Adventure – Accepting challenges, risk-taking
Aesthetic – Desire for beauty, artistic ability
Altruism – Serving others
Appearance – Dressing well, staying fit
Challenge – Trying new things, bettering existing skills
Communication – Openly exchanging ideas
Community – Connecting to others
Competence – Capability, effectiveness
Competition – Desire to be the best
Consensus – Living with decisions
Consistency – Predictable, reliable
Courage – Standing up for beliefs
Creativity – New ways, innovation
Fairness – Respecting all rights, equality
Family – Caring for others, time together
Forgiveness – Pardoning others
Friendship – Close-ongoing relationships
Health – Physical Well-Being
Helping – Taking care of others
Honesty – Being sincere, truthful
Intellectual Status – Being regarded as an expert
Joy/Pleasure – Personal satisfaction
Learning – Exploring new ideas, understanding
Love/Intimacy – Forming deep, emotional bonds
Loyalty – Commitment to individuals and organizations
Mental Health – Emotional, psychological, social well-being
Morality – Alignment with personal or cultural morals
Neatness – Tidiness, order, cleanliness
Peace – Inner and Outer Harmony
Perseverance – Stick-to-itiveness
Personal Growth – Continual self-learning
Play – Fun, spontaneity
Power – Having control over others
Prosperity – Flourishing, being well-off
Rationality – Logic, clear reasoning
Respect – Honoring, giving consideration
Security – Valuing safety, assessing risk
Self-Control – Self-discipline, restraint
Sharing – Spreading gifts and talents with others
Sociability – Friendly interactions with others
Spiritual Growth – A higher metaphysical purpose
Stability – Certainty, predictability
Teamwork – Cooperating, achieving common goal
Tradition – Respecting old ways
Truth – Search for meaning and reason
Uniqueness – Being different from the crowd