What Are Your Values?
Values are what we find meaningful and important. These can be different for different people.
Values are important to explore, because much of our goal-directed activity comes from a foundation of what is valued. For example, one may value a healthy lifestyle, and a related goal may be to exercise daily. We may value family or friends, and therefore choose to schedule in time with them.
It is common to mistake certain wishes and feelings for values. Values are not internal states, how people treat us, or specific things to achieve. Below are some of the common areas of life that people value and may lead to goal-directed activity.
- Intimate relationships: What kind of partner do you want to be? What quality of relationship do you want to be part of? How do you want to spend time together?
- Mental/Emotional Health: What helps you maintain sound mental health? Why is this important to you? What issues would you like to address?
- Friendships/social relations: What sort of friend do you want to be? How would you like to act towards your friends? How can these relationships be improved?
- Employment/career: What kind of work is valuable to you? What qualities do you want to bring as an employee? What kind of work relationships would you like to build?
- Education/training/personal growth: How would you like to grow? What kind of skills would you like to develop? What would you like to know more about?
- Hobbies/ Recreation: How would you like to enjoy yourself? What relaxes you? When are you most playful? Are there any special interests you would like to pursue?
- Spirituality: What kind of relationship do you want with God/nature/ the Earth/mankind? What does having a spiritual life mean to you? How can you exercise this?
- Citizenship/Community: What kind of environment do you want to be a part of? How do you want to contribute to your community? Physical well-being What kind of values do you have regarding your physical wellbeing? How do you want to look at yourself?
- Family relationships: What kind of relationships do you want with your family? What kind of mother/father/ brother/sister/uncle/ aunt do you want to be? What is important to you about a good family?
Here's is a list of values that are related to the categories below. Use them to start listing your own values.
Family relations
Work on current relationships • Spend time with family • Take an active role in raising my children • Maintain consistent healthy communication
Marriage/couples/intimate relationships
Establish a sense of safety and trust • Give and receive affection • Spend quality time with my partner • Show my partner how much I appreciate them
Friendships/Social Relationships
End destructive relationships • Reach out for new relationships • Feel a sense of belonging • Have and keep close friends • Spend time with friends • Have people to do things with
Mental/Emotional health
Seek fun and things that give me pleasure • Have free time • Be independent and take care of myself • Challenge my negative thinking • Make my own decisions • Engage in therapy • Take my medications • Stay active
Physical well-being
Live in secure and safe surroundings • Engage in regular exercise • Have a steady income to meet physical needs • Eat foods that are nourishing to my body • Maintain a balance between rest and activity • Get enough sleep
Citizenship/Community
Contribute to the larger community • Help people in need • Improve society • Be committed to a cause or group that has a larger purpose • Make sacrifices for others
Spirituality
Follow traditions and customs • Live according to spiritual principles • Practice my religion or faith • Grow in understanding myself, my personal calling, and life’s purpose • Discern the will of God/Higher power • Find meaning in life • Develop a personal philosophy of life • Spend time in nature • Focus on the greater good Education/Training/Personal Growth • Be involved in undertakings I believe personally are significant • Try new and different things in life • Learn new things • Be daring and seek adventure • Have an exciting life • Learn to do challenging things that help me grow as a person
Employment
Be powerful and able to influence others, have authority • Make important decisions that affect the organization • Be a leader • Make a great deal of money • Be respected by others • Be seen by others as successful, be ambitious • Become well-known, obtain recognition and status • Be productive, work hard • Achieve significant goals • Enjoy the work I do • Do what I’m told and follow the rules
Aligning Values and Actions
The next step is to translate our values into activities that help us fulfill on those goals.
Take a moment to think about the values that you identified on the previous page. What are some short term goals in each area? What are some long term goals?
Use this page and the next to start to brainstorm.
Example:
Value: Personal Growth-I want to be actively getting better every day. I want to embrace new things that challenge me and surround myself with people and things that help me to be my best.
Corresponding Value Activity: I'm going to read a book or listen to a podcast for 15 minutes a day and talk about it with a friend or family member.
Fill out for you:
Value: ____________________________________
Corresponding Activity: _______________________________________________
Value: ____________________________________
Corresponding Activity: _______________________________________________