Values Discovery Worksheet

Values are the principles that matter most to you — the qualities you want to embody in your life. Unlike goals (which have endpoints), values are ongoing directions you move toward. Dr. Steven Hayes, the founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), describes values as "chosen life directions" that give meaning and vitality to our actions. Research published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (2012) shows that people who live in alignment with their values report significantly higher well-being, life satisfaction, and resilience during difficult times.

This worksheet uses three complementary methods to help you uncover your authentic values — not the values you think you "should" have, but the ones that genuinely energize and fulfill you.

Method 1: Life Experience Reflection

Your lived experience contains clues about your values. Research by Dr. Shalom Schwartz at Hebrew University, published in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (1992), identified that values are shaped by both culture and personal experience, and become most visible at peak moments — both positive and negative.

Method 2: Values Card Sort

Below is a list of common values. Go through the list three times: first, quickly mark each as "Very Important," "Somewhat Important," or "Not Important." Then narrow your "Very Important" list to your top 10. Finally, rank your top 5.

Method 3: Values-in-Action Assessment

For each of your top 5 values, assess how well you're currently living that value. Dr. Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, uses a "values bull's-eye" approach where you rate how close you are to living each value fully.

Values Alignment Action Plan

Living Your Values Daily

Values aren't something you discover once and file away. They're a compass you check regularly. Dr. Kelly Wilson, co-creator of ACT, recommends asking yourself each morning: "What value do I want to bring to life today?" and each evening: "How did I honor my values today?" This simple daily check-in keeps your values active and present in your decision-making.

Research shows that values-guided behavior is self-reinforcing — when you act in alignment with your values, you experience a deep sense of rightness and vitality, even when the action is difficult. This is fundamentally different from motivation, which fluctuates. Values provide a stable foundation that carries you through both good and hard times.

Revisit this worksheet every 6-12 months. Your core values tend to remain stable, but their priority order and how you express them may shift as you grow and your life circumstances change.