Clarify

Your Values
Workbook
 Clarify Your Values
Live a rich and meaningful life

This worksheet will help you clarify your values and help you see how striving toward them is
the key to a fulfilling life, which is what I call happiness. Understanding and living your values
creates a life where you feel a sense of peace and integrity. So let's dive in!

What are values?

Values are character traits. Who we are striving to be and what we believe in (not religious or
moral values necessarily, but they may be). Acting contrary to our values leads to guilt, self-
deception, anger, frustration with others, self-loathing, shame, and all sorts of other unhelpful
and unpleasant things. When we have integrity, when our actions line up with our Values, we
tend to feel peace instead of turmoil, connection instead of discord, and greater joy in our lives.

How do I know if I value something?

When we value something we put our money, time, and resources into it. You might value
many traits to a degree, but at some intersections in life you have to choose which ones are
worth more to you.

Values vs. Goals

Values are like a direction (“Let’s hike north”) Goals are like a destination (“Let’s hike to that
summit”) Both are good. Because values are about who we are in the present moment, they are
something that we can always act upon, Goals depend on many outside factors.
Values are all about the process and the direction we are moving towards, not some end
destination.

If values are so important, how come we don’t live them?

Living a valued life includes discomfort. Doing something good- like making new friends,
serving others, creating art, making YouTube videos, it all requires vulnerability, maybe some
anxiety, or disappointment. We get to choose what is most important to us. Is it living a pain-
free life, or living your values? Most people would say the most important thing to them is to
live their values, to have good relationships, to help others, to create beauty in the world, even
if that means there is some discomfort. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what is
most important to us, and not just avoid discomfort.

So, how do we do it?

Below, I have 6 questions and a list of values to help you clarify your own values
and apply and live them to find more peace and joy in your life.

1
 Values Clarification Exercise
Read through and answer each question the best you can.

In your heart of hearts what kind of person do you long to be?

What did you love doing as a child?

What are the characteristics you believe are valuable as a friend, spouse, parent,
employee,etc?

2
If you have a hard time thinking of these for yourself, think of the people you
admire- what is it about them that you look up to?

What do you want your life to be about? At the end of your life, What would
make you say “I'm so glad I did….and spent time/effort doing….” or “I'm proud
of myself for doing…..”?

You can’t choose everything, you have limited time, energy, money- where are
you going to spend your time?

3
 1
Core Values List: Look at the list and circle just the
characteristics that most resonate with you. Choose top 5
values.
Acceptance Conviction Freedom
Accomplishment Cooperation Friendship Fun
Accountability Courage Generosity
Accuracy Courtesy Genius
Achievement Creation Giving
Adaptability Creativity Goodness
Alertness Credibility Grace
Altruism Curiosity Gratitude
Ambition Decisive Greatness
Amusement Decisiveness Growth
Assertiveness Dedication Happiness
Attentive Dependability Hard work
Awareness Determination Harmony
Balance Development Health
Beauty Devotion Honesty
Boldness Dignity Honor
Bravery Discipline Hope
Brilliance Discovery Humility
Calm Drive Humor
Candor Effectiveness Imagination
Capable Efficiency Improvement
Careful Empathy Independence
Certainty Empower Individuality
Challenge Endurance Innovation
Charity Energy Inquisitive
Cleanliness Enjoyment Insightful
Clear Enthusiasm Inspiring
Clever Equality Integrity
Comfort Ethical Intelligence
Commitment Excellence Intensity
Common sense Experience Intuitive
Communication Exploration Joy
Community Expressive Justice
Compassion Fairness Kindness
Competence Family Knowledge
Concentration Famous Lawful
Confidence Fearless Leadership
Connection Feelings Learning
Consciousness Ferocious Liberty
Consistency Fidelity Logic
Contentment Focus Love
Contribution Foresight Loyalty
Control Fortitude

4
Mastery Responsibility Sustainability
Maturity Restraint Talent
Meaning Results-oriented Teamwork
Moderation Reverence Temperance
Motivation Rigor Thankful
Openness Risk Thorough
Optimism Satisfaction Thoughtful
Order Security Timeliness
Organization Self-reliance Tolerance
Originality Selfless Toughness
Passion Sensitivity Traditional
Patience Serenity Tranquility
Peace Service Transparency
Performance Sharing Trust
Persistence Significance Trustworthy
Playfulness Simplicity Truth
Poise Sincerity Understanding
Potential Skillfulness Uniqueness
Power Smart Unity
Present Solitude Valor
Productivity Spirit Victory
Professionali Spirituality Vigor
sm Spontaneous Vision
Prosperity Stability Vitality
Purpose Status Wealth
Quality Stewardship Welcoming
Realistic Strength Winning
Reason Structure Wisdom
Recognition Success Wonder
Recreation Support
Reflective Surprise
Respect

5
My top values are:

1-

2-

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5-

Apply/Live your values:

Write down 1-3 small actions you can take now to live closer to your values.

1.

2.

3.

Make a plan to review your values often.

I suggest a personal values inventory weekly where you sit down and take a few
minutes to review your values and see how things are going (like pulling out a map on a
trip to check you are going the right way).