Knowing your values creates clarity and focus, helps you to be mindful about your choices, and empowers you to live authentically and with integrity. Your values are guiding principles that point you in the right direction like a compass.
See examples of different kinds of values and learn how to clarify them at Map Your Values.
Core values
Core values are the values that are of highest importance to you. Some values are subjective personal opinions that can vary and may change. Other values have intrinsic worth and are fairly universal among cultures and religion. Many are based on respect and responsibility for ourselves and for others.
Look at Your Values is Part Five of Discover U in Ten Steps, part of a self-assessment to uncover hidden talents, and one of the weekly activities for a Year of Personal Development. Find a free printable self-assessment form at the Brand and Purpose Toolkit, and links to online tools to look at values at List.ly.
When you look at your values, you can choose the ones that are most meaningful to you, and find ways to develop character. Once you identify your most important values, you can create a value statement a mission statement or a Unique Selling Proposition that pinpoints what you do and why. It is a concise, clear statement of the special benefit that you provide. It is the power tool for Purpose, one of the Four Ps of Positive Shift that organize the 12 practices that have been shown by positive psychology to increase happiness.
- Discover your heroes
- Identify your strengths
- Explore your skills
- Examine your beliefs
- Look at your values
- Develop a mission statement
- Learn about your personality and interests
- Think about your talents and goals
- Tell your story
- Express yourself
[…] you explored your skills. In part four you examined your beliefs. In part five you looked at your values. In part six you developed a mission statement. In part seven you will think about your personality […]
[…] resources at Clues to Purpose, Discover U Part Five, and Develop […]