Before you start, some food for thought: Research has shown that there is not a set of professional values and personal values. We only have one set. We don’t shift our values based on context.

1. Determine your core values.

From the list below, choose and write down every core value that resonates with you. Do not overthink your selections. As you read through the list, simply write down the words that feel like a core value to you personally. If you think of a value you possess that is not on the list, be sure to write it down as well.

Abundance Acceptance Accountability Achievement Advancement Adventure

Advocacy

Ambition Appreciation Attractiveness Autonomy

Balance

Being the Best

Benevolence Boldness

Brilliance

Calmness

Caring

Challenge

Charity Cheerfulness Cleverness Community Commitment Compassion Cooperation Collaboration Consistency Contribution Creativity

Credibility

Curiosity

Daring

Decisiveness Dedication Dependability Diversity

Empathy Encouragement Enthusiasm

Ethics

Excellence Expressiveness Fairness

Family

Friendships Flexibility

Freedom

Fun

Generosity

Grace

Growth

Flexibility

Happiness

Health

Honesty

Humility

Humor Inclusiveness Independence Individuality Innovation Inspiration Intelligence

Intuition

Joy

Kindness Knowledge Leadership

Learning

Love

Loyalty

Making a Difference Mindfulness Motivation

Optimism

Open-Mindedness Originality

Passion Performance Personal Development Proactive Professionalism Quality

Recognition

Risk Taking

Safety

Security

Service

Spirituality

Stability

Peace Perfection Playfulness Popularity

Power

Preparedness Proactivity Professionalism Punctuality Recognition Relationships Reliability

Resilience Resourcefulness Responsibility Responsiveness Security

Self-Control Selflessness Simplicity

Stability

Success

Teamwork Thankfulness Thoughtfulness Traditionalism Trustworthiness Understanding Uniqueness Usefulness Versatility

Vision

Warmth

Wealth

Well-Being

Wisdom

Zeal

2. Group all similar values together from the list of values you just created.

Group them in a way that makes sense to you, personally. Create a maximum of five groupings. If you have more than five groupings, drop those least important. See the example below.

Abundance Growth

Wealth

Security

Freedom Independence Flexibility

Peace

Acceptance Compassion Inclusiveness Intuition

Kindness

Love

Making a Difference

Open-

Mindedness Trustworthiness Relationships

Appreciation Encouragement Thankfulness Thoughtfulness Mindfulness

Balance

Health

Personal Development Spirituality Well-being

Cheerfulness

Fun

Happiness Humor

Inspiration

Joy

Optimism Playfulness

3. Choose one word within each grouping that best represents the label for the entire group. Again, do not overthink your labels. There are no right or wrong answers. You are defining the answer that is right for you. See the example below – the label chosen for the grouping is bolded.

Abundance Growth

Wealth

Security

Freedom Independence Flexibility

Peace

Acceptance Compassion Inclusiveness Intuition

Kindness

Love

Making a Difference

Open-

Mindedness Trustworthiness Relationships

Appreciation Encouragement Thankfulness Thoughtfulness Mindfulness

Balance