Core Values: List, Examples, and ExercisesWhat are your core values? Explore our values list, examples, and exercises to get a better understanding of which values matter most to you.
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Are you struggling to find your core values? A good place to start is to better understand what values are. Then you can begin to explore which ones resonate most with you. So, in this article, we'll help you explore your values and do some exercises to better understand how these values operate in your life.
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Leadership
Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Friendship Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Creativity Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Toughness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Curiosity Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Adaptability Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cautiousness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rationality Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Helpfulness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Imagination Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Persistence Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Honesty Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sociability Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Adventurousness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cleanliness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Patience Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The Well-Being of My Family Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Liveliness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Empathy Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Competence
Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A Comfortable Life Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Love Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kindness Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Freedom Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poise Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Intellect Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Achievement Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 An Exciting Life Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Equality Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wisdom Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Optimism Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Loyalty Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Self-control Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bravery Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Modesty Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Independence Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Organization Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gratitude Not important Very important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Once you are done with the quiz, go through your answers and make a list of your top 5 highest scoring values. Now, rank order these in order of importance—so your most important core value would be number 1, your second most important core value would be number 2, etc... Then you'll have your top core values.
Video: Who Are You? Unleashing your Core Values
Examples of Core Values
For those of you who just completed the core values quiz, you should now have your top 5 core values. Here is an example from when I did this activity. My highest-ranked values were: Creativity, Kindness, Freedom, Achievement, and Equality. Ranking these was hard, but I settled on this order for my core values list:
For some people who do this activity, you may notice that your values are similar. It's okay to group values that seem similar. In fact, it can be helpful to do so. That way you get a better sense of your core values across different domains of life. For example, I might group Kindness and Equality together in my values list because they represent a similar thing to me. More specifically, I value being good to others, and this includes things like kindness, empathy, and fair treatment.
I suggest an end goal of having 3-4 values that are clearly distinct and represent different parts of yourself.
Personal core values vs. company core values
So far we've been talking about personal core values. But it's helpful to keep in mind we may also have a different set of values in different contexts in our lives. For example, our company may have a set of values that we live by at work—for example, maybe our company's values are Customer Service, Honesty, and Ingenuity.
We might even have slightly different values in the context of different relationships. For example, perhaps love and honesty are core values in the context of our marriage while fun and liveliness are core values in the context of our friendships. Just keep in mind that it's okay to have these variations in different parts of your life.
- Creativity
- Kindness
- Equality
- Freedom
- Achievement
For some people who do this activity, you may notice that your values are similar. It's okay to group values that seem similar. In fact, it can be helpful to do so. That way you get a better sense of your core values across different domains of life. For example, I might group Kindness and Equality together in my values list because they represent a similar thing to me. More specifically, I value being good to others, and this includes things like kindness, empathy, and fair treatment.
I suggest an end goal of having 3-4 values that are clearly distinct and represent different parts of yourself.
Personal core values vs. company core values
So far we've been talking about personal core values. But it's helpful to keep in mind we may also have a different set of values in different contexts in our lives. For example, our company may have a set of values that we live by at work—for example, maybe our company's values are Customer Service, Honesty, and Ingenuity.
We might even have slightly different values in the context of different relationships. For example, perhaps love and honesty are core values in the context of our marriage while fun and liveliness are core values in the context of our friendships. Just keep in mind that it's okay to have these variations in different parts of your life.
List of Core Values
If you feel like the core values quiz above missed some of your important values, here is a list of even more values (for an even bigger list of values, go here). Feel free to add these to your core values list if they are highly important to you.
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More Core Values Lists
Here are a few more core values lists for a more complete collection.
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Core Values Exercises
Values Exercise #1: Making values actionable
For each of your top five values, add a verb to it. That is, describe for yourself how you can live each of your core values.
Values Exercise #2: How do you live your values?
Once you know your core values, how can you use this information to boost your well-being? Well, in general, it feels better to live our values than not live our values. So here's an exercise to better understand how you currently live your values and how you might engage in additional behaviors that are aligned with your values.
Hopefully, these exercises can help you make the best use of knowing your values. That way, your values can help you boost your well-being.
For each of your top five values, add a verb to it. That is, describe for yourself how you can live each of your core values.
- For example, if your value is love, what will your action be? It could be to 'act with love', 'show love', or even 'receive love with acceptance'.
- If your value is optimism, your actions might be to 'look at life with optimism' or 'think optimistically'.
- If your value is health, your actions might be to 'eat healthfully', or 'build a healthy lifestyle'.
Values Exercise #2: How do you live your values?
Once you know your core values, how can you use this information to boost your well-being? Well, in general, it feels better to live our values than not live our values. So here's an exercise to better understand how you currently live your values and how you might engage in additional behaviors that are aligned with your values.
- Start by thinking about (or writing down) ways that you currently live each of your top 5 core values. For example, if your value is adventurousness, what do you do to be adventurous?
- Next, ask yourself if you engage in any behaviors that go against your top 5 core values. For example, in what ways are you not brave, wise, or compassionate (or whatever your values are)? If your value is patience, do you ever snap at your kids? Or, if your value is modesty, do you frequently brag about yourself? Try to notice ways in which you are not living your values.
- Lastly, ask yourself if there are new behaviors you could engage in to better live these values. For example, how might you be more creative, sociable, or honest (or whatever your values are)?
Hopefully, these exercises can help you make the best use of knowing your values. That way, your values can help you boost your well-being.
Articles Related to Values
Want to keep getting to know yourself and your values better? Here are some other articles to read:
- Your Personal Values: What Are Values and How Do You Live Them?
- What Are Your Emotional (or Happiness) Values?
- Personal Goals: Definition, 30 Examples, & Tips for Goal Setting
- Personal Mission Statement: Examples, Definition, and Writing Tips
- List of Values: 305 Value Words, Lists, PDFs, & Excel Sheets
Books Related to Values
If you’d like to keep learning more about values, here are a few books that you might be interested in.
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References
- Allen, M. W., Ng, S. H., & Wilson, M. (2002). A functional approach to instrumental and terminal values and the value‐attitude‐behaviour system of consumer choice. European journal of Marketing.
- Gibson, J. W., Greenwood, R. A., & Murphy Jr, E. F. (2009). Generational differences in the workplace: Personal values, behaviors, and popular beliefs. Journal of Diversity Management (JDM), 4(3), 1-8.
- Limthanakom, N., Lauffer, W., Mujtaba, B. G., & Murphy Jr, E. F. (2008). The Ranking Of Terminal And Instrumental Values By Working Professionals In Thailand, Singapore And The United States: What Is Important And How Do They Impact Decision-Making? International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 7(4).
- Maio, G. R., Pakizeh, A., Cheung, W. Y., & Rees, K. J. (2009). Changing, priming, and acting on values: effects via motivational relations in a circular model. Journal of personality and social psychology, 97(4), 699.
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