How to identify my values
Values are very important to us and act like a compass which can help to guide our actions.
They move you towards what’s important to you and how you truly want to be living your life. When our actions do not align with our values, we often experience uncomfortable emotions. The emotions are there to let us know we have gone off path.
Below is a list of the 50 most common values for people as identified by Russ Harris (2010). You can print this list out to help you identify your values. Try placing a: ‘V’ for ‘very important to me’, ‘Q’ ‘ for ‘quite important to me’ or ‘N’ for ‘not so important to me’.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer and it’s what’s important to you that counts. Try not to overthink this and go with what feels right to you.
Once you’ve marked each value as V, Q, N (very, quite, or not so important), go through all the Vs, and select out the top 5 that are most important to you. Mark each one with a X, to show it’s in your top 5.
Finally, write those 5 values out below, to remind yourself this is what you want to stand for as a human being. Ask yourself, when any of your top 5 are acting as your compass, what kinds of actions do you take?
