Personal Values Identified

How to complete Personal Values Identified

Most decisions feel hard because you're weighing options without knowing what you're actually optimizing for. Naming five core values gives you a reusable filter: when a choice aligns with them it's usually right, and when it doesn't the discomfort finally has a name.

1. Brainstorm a long list of value words without judging, or start from a values list and circle everything that resonates.
2. Recall two or three moments you felt most alive or most proud, and note which value was being honored.
3. Recall moments of real anger or regret, and name the value that was being violated.
4. Cut the list down to five that feel non-negotiable, merging near-duplicates like honesty and integrity.
5. Write each one with a short personal definition, since your version of Freedom isn't anyone else's.

Tips

• Five is the cap on purpose; twenty values are just a wish list and won't help you decide anything.
• Choose what's genuinely yours, not values you think you should hold or that impress others.
• Revisit them at the next big decision and see whether they actually clarified the call.

What counts as done

You have a written list of five core values, each with a sentence on what it means to you.