What Are Values?
Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important, desirable, and worth striving for in life. As a psychological concept, values serve as guiding principles that influence our attitudes, decisions, and behaviors. They represent our fundamental convictions about what matters most to us and what kind of person we aspire to be.
How Values Affect Your Life
Values serve as an internal compass that guides our choices and behaviors. They influence virtually every aspect of our lives, from major life decisions to everyday interactions.
Decision-making
When you’re faced with a difficult decision—such as choosing a career path or managing a relationship—your values often operate in the background, helping you lean toward options that “feel right” or align with your sense of integrity.
Motivation and well-being
Values create a sense of purpose and direction. Working toward goals that reflect your values tends to be more fulfilling than chasing external rewards alone.
Identity and consistency
Your values help form your identity. Living in line with your values produces a sense of internal harmony, while going against them can create emotional conflict or distress.
Relationships and social interactions
Shared values with friends, family, or coworkers can foster connection and trust. Conversely, divergent values can lead to conflict or misunderstandings.
Behavior regulation
Personal values guide your conduct across different situations.
The Power of Value Alignment
When aligned with values
- Greater sense of authenticity and purpose
- Enhanced psychological well-being
- More consistent decision-making
- Increased resilience during challenges
- Deeper satisfaction with life choices
When misaligned with values
- Experience of cognitive dissonance
- Feelings of inauthenticity or unease
- Internal conflict and stress
- Decreased motivation and engagement
- Sense of being off-track in life
"When your behaviors align with your core values, you typically experience greater authenticity and well-being. When there's misalignment, you might experience what psychologists call 'cognitive dissonance' - a form of psychological tension that often signals a need to reassess either your actions or your values."
Exploring Your Core Values
Discovering your core values requires honest self-reflection. The following questions are designed to help you uncover what truly matters to you by examining your peak experiences, aspirations, and influences.
1
Looking back on your life, describe a "mountaintop" experience. This is a moment when you felt the most joyful, exuberant, and on top of the world. What were you doing? Who were you with? How did you get to this point?
2
Imagine yourself at your 90th birthday. What do you want to be remembered for? What will you look back on and think– "Yes! That was worth it!"
3
If you were to unexpectedly inherit $50 million dollars, how would you spend the money? What would you do with your time if you no longer needed to work to earn money?
4
Who are the two people in your life that you most admire? What qualities do you see in them that you aspire to?
Finding Your Values
Review your responses and look for patterns. What themes emerge? What did your mountaintop experience involve—achievement, connection, creativity? Who do you admire and why? Your answers reveal what you truly value.
Identify Your Core Values
Step 1: First pass of core values
Use the list below to pick values that resonate - simply tick the 'select' checkbox to include. Don't over think this step too much. You can cut back later. Make this list your own! You can also add your own values in the field below.