Values Worksheet
Looking for a way to identify your values? Start with this easy-to-complete worksheet!
Values Worksheet
| Accountability | Curiosity | Humility | Peace | Trust |
| Achievement | Dignity | Humor | Perseverance | Truth |
| Adaptability | Diversity | Inclusion | Personal fulfillment | Understanding |
| Adventure | Efficiency | Independence | Pleasure | Uniqueness |
| Altruism | Empathy | Influencing people | Power | Usefulness |
| Ambition | Entrepreneurship | Initiative | Pride | Vision |
| Athletic/Active | Environment | Integrity | Recognition | Vulnerability |
| Authenticity | Equality | Intuition | Reliability | Wealth |
| Authority | Ethics | Involvement | Resourcefulness | Well-being |
| Autonomy | Excellence | Job security | Respect | Wholeheartedness |
| Balance | Fairness | Joy | Responsibility | Wisdom |
| Beauty | Faith | Justice | Risk-taking | Other:____________ |
| Being the best | Fame | Kindness | Safety | Other:____________ |
| Belonging | Family | Knowledge | Security | Other:____________ |
| Career | Financial stability | Leadership | Self-discipline | Circle your top ten values that are MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU. From this list, reduce your 10 to identify your 5 top core values.Lastly, cut this list to 3. These values should reflect your own personal values, as well as what you want in your future career. If there seems to be contradiction, schedule an appointment with Career: career@gustavus.edu |
| Caring | Forgiveness | Learning | Self-expression | |
| Challenge | Freedom | Legacy | Self-respect | |
| Collaboration | Fun | Leisure | Serenity | |
| Commitment | Future generations | Life-balance | Service | |
| Community | Generosity | Love | Simplicity | |
| Compassion | Giving back | Loyalty | Spirituality | |
| Competence | Grace | Making a difference | Sportsmanship | |
| Competition | Gratitude | Nature | Stability | |
| Confidence | Growth | Openness | Status | |
| Connection | Happiness | Optimism | Stewardship | |
| Contentment | Harmony | Order | Success | |
| Contribution | Health | Parenting | Teamwork | |
| Cooperation | Home | Passion | Time | |
| Courage | Honesty | Patience | Tradition | |
| Creativity | Hope | Patriotism | Travel |
What are your values and how do they shape your picture of your life/career/vocation?
Deciding What’s Most Important in Life
Your values are the things you believe are important in the way you live and work. They help determine your priorities and can be what makes you feel as if your life is turning out the way you want it to. When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good. But when these don’t align with your values, that’s when things feel wrong or cause friction. This is why identifying your values is so important. If you value family, but you have to work 70-hour weeks in your job, will you feel internal stress and conflict? And if you don’t value competition, and you work in a highly competitive sales environment, are you likely to be satisfied with your job? In these types of situations, understanding your values can really help. When you know your own values, you can use them to make decisions about how to live your life, and you can answer questions like these:
- What job should I pursue?
- Should I accept this promotion?
- Should I start my own business?
- Should I compromise, or be firm with my position?
- Should I follow tradition, or travel down a new path?
Take some time to understand the real priorities in your life, and you’ll be able to determine the best direction for you and your life goals. Values are usually fairly stable, but as you move through life, your values may change. This is why keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise. You can continuously revisit this, especially if you start to feel unbalanced and you can’t quite figure out why.
Use the list above to help you get started.
- Start by trying to identify the top 10 that are most important to you.
- Think about times when you were happiest, most proud, fulfilled and satisfied.
- As you work through, you may find that some of these can naturally combine – perhaps Family, Cooperation, and Belonging come together to mean to you Connection and that is one of your top values.
- This is not an exhaustive list, so if there is another word or phrase that would better describe your value, write it in for you.
- Cut your list to your top 5 core values.
- Prioritize your top 3 values
Write them here:
Reaffirm and check in with your values as you make decisions and use them as a guide.
Contact Gustavus Center for Career Development if you have any questions: career@gustavus.edu