Discovering Your Core Values: A Guided Exercise
Why Are Core Values Important?
Understanding your core values helps clarify your purpose, influences how you interact with the world, and determines the paths you choose in life. When your actions and life choices align with these values, you experience greater fulfillment and authenticity.
A Simple Exercise to Uncover Your Core Values
This exercise is designed to peel back the layers of societal expectations, personal experiences, and external influences to reveal the core of who you are and what you stand for.
1. Reflect on Peak Moments
Think back to times in your life when you felt most alive, fulfilled, and true to yourself. What were you doing? Who were you with? Identifying common themes in these moments can hint at your core values.
2. Consider Your Role Models
Think of people you admire and respect. What qualities do they possess that you look up to? Often, the traits we admire in others are reflections of our own values.
3. Identify What Makes You Angry
Sometimes, our values are most clearly defined by what we cannot tolerate. Consider situations that have made you deeply upset or frustrated. What boundaries were crossed?
4. Write It Down
List down qualities that resonate with you. Don’t overthink it; let your intuition guide you. This list can be long; the goal is to get everything out.
5. Narrow It Down
Review your list and start grouping similar values together. Aim to narrow your list down to about 5-10 core values—principles that feel non-negotiable and define the essence of who you are.
6. Define What They Mean to You
For each core value, write a sentence or two about what it means to you and why it’s important. This helps solidify your understanding and personal connection to each value.
7. Live Your Values
The most important step is to integrate these values into your daily life. Consider how your core values can guide your actions, decisions, and interactions with others.
Your Personal Journey
Discovering your core values is not a one-time task but a journey of continual exploration and reflection. As you grow and evolve, so too might your values. Revisit this exercise periodically to ensure that you’re living in alignment with your deepest truths.
Your Challenge This Week
Carve out some quiet time for this exercise. It’s a gift to yourself—a step toward living a more intentional and authentic life.
Take the Next Step in Your Growth
Join my Weekly Coaching Group and receive two free weeks of personalized guidance, support, and strategies to help you live in alignment with your core values.
