List Of Values – What Is It? How to Make A List Of Values.
A list of Values is a term referring to personal values, also known as core values, that are used in all areas of your life to describe a set of principles that guide your decisions. Businesses use a list of values to guide an organization’s decisions. The focus of this article is on personal values and identifying what is important to you.
What Are Lists Of Values?
A list of values is a collection of beliefs that guides people’s behaviour. As humans, we are often influenced by others, the media, friends, family and mentors all projecting how we need to behave and what we need to do to live a wonderful, happy, successful life. Ultimately you need to decide what you value and live by your true beliefs to feel fulfilled truly.
Your core values are like a benchmark that helps you and guides you through life. Only you can measure how fulfilled you are based on living true to your core beliefs.
Your personal values will change throughout life as your priorities change.
It is important to identify your core values as they motivate you and help you live your life in alignment with your true self. The more in alignment you are with your values, the more likely you can create and live your envisioned life.
Why Do We Need Them?
Lists of values help you understand why certain behaviours are acceptable and others aren’t. Your core values also provide guidance when making decisions throughout different stages of your life. Living with personal values can assist with dealing with difficult situations.
The beauty is you are unique. Everyone is an individual. Your core values are values that matter to you. They help you live with integrity and help you make choices on what’s important to you.
Example list of personal values.
Below is a list of 140 core values. Scan through the list but before you take words that just jump out at you as your key values, consider why you choose that word and what the value means to you in everyday life.
Acceptance: Embracing oneself and others without judgment, fostering understanding and inclusivity.
Accountability: Taking responsibility for actions and their outcomes.
Achievement: Accomplishing meaningful goals and celebrating success.
Adventure: Embracing new experiences and stepping into the unknown with excitement.
Affection: Expressing love, care, and warmth toward others.
Agility: Adapting quickly and efficiently to change or challenges.
Ambition: Striving for personal and professional growth with determination.
Approachable: Being open, friendly, and easy to connect with.
Appreciation: Recognizing and valuing the good in people, situations, and life.
Authenticity: Living true to oneself with honesty and integrity.
Balance: Achieving harmony between work, life, and personal well-being.
Belonging: Feeling connected and valued as part of a community or group.
Brilliance: Demonstrating exceptional talent or creativity.
Calm: Maintaining a peaceful and composed state of mind.
Clever: Using intelligence and creativity to solve problems.
Challenge: Embracing opportunities for growth through difficulty or opposition.
Change: Welcoming transformation as a natural part of progress.
Cheerful: Maintaining a positive and joyful attitude.
Comfort: Providing or seeking physical and emotional ease.
Compassion: Showing empathy and kindness toward others in need.
Community: Building strong, supportive, and connected relationships with others.
Commit: Dedicating oneself fully to a cause, goal, or relationship.
Confidence: Trusting in one’s abilities and decisions.
Connections: Fostering meaningful relationships with others.
Contribution: Giving time, energy, or resources to help others or create value.
Creativity: Using imagination to innovate and express ideas.
Culture: Celebrating shared traditions, values, and identities.
Customer Focus: Prioritizing the needs and satisfaction of customers.
Daring: Taking bold risks and facing fears with courage.
Dedication: Committing fully to a purpose or task.
Dependability: Being reliable and trustworthy.
Determination: Pursuing goals with steadfastness and resilience.
Diversity: Valuing and respecting differences in people and perspectives.
Duty: Upholding moral or legal obligations.
Effective: Achieving desired results with minimal effort or waste.
Efficient: Completing tasks in a resourceful and timely manner.
Energy: Bringing vitality and enthusiasm to actions and decisions.
Enjoyment: Finding pleasure and happiness in experiences.
Enthusiasm: Showing eagerness and passion for life or tasks.
Entrepreneurship: Creating and developing new ideas, businesses, or innovations.
Equality: Treating everyone with fairness and respect.
Ethical: Acting in alignment with moral principles and integrity.
Expertise: Mastering a skill or field of knowledge.
Exploration: Seeking out new experiences and knowledge.
Faithfulness: Staying loyal and committed to people, values, or beliefs.
Family: Prioritizing love, care, and connection with loved ones.
Fearless: Facing challenges boldly without hesitation.
Flexibility: Adapting easily to changing situations or environments.
Focus: Concentrating attention and energy on priorities.
Freedom: Living without unnecessary restrictions or limitations.
Friendly: Acting with warmth, kindness, and approachability.
Fun: Engaging in enjoyable, lighthearted activities.
Giving: Sharing time, resources, or kindness generously.
Gratitude: Appreciating and being thankful for what you have.
Growth: Pursuing continuous personal or professional development.
Guidance: Offering support, advice, or direction to others.
Happiness: Experiencing contentment and joy in life.
Health: Prioritizing physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Helpful: Assisting others with generosity and care.
Honesty: Being truthful and transparent in actions and words.
Hopeful: Looking forward to the future with optimism and positivity.
Humble: Staying modest and grounded despite achievements.
Humility: Valuing others' contributions while recognizing personal limitations.
Impactful: Making a positive and meaningful difference.
Informal: Embracing casual, relaxed communication and interactions.
Individual: Valuing uniqueness and personal identity.
Influence: Inspiring and guiding others toward positive actions.
Innovative: Introducing new ideas, methods, or solutions.
Inspiration: Motivating others through ideas, actions, or creativity.
Integrity: Acting in alignment with strong moral and ethical principles.
Intimacy: Building deep, meaningful connections with others.
Joy: Experiencing deep and lasting happiness.
Kindness: Showing empathy and compassion to others.
Knowledge: Pursuing understanding and wisdom.
Leadership: Guiding and inspiring others toward common goals.
Listening: Actively hearing and understanding others with focus and empathy.
Love: Caring deeply for others and expressing affection openly.
Loyalty: Demonstrating unwavering support and commitment.
Meaning: Pursuing a purposeful and fulfilling life.
Mindful: Staying present and fully engaged in the moment.
Motivation: Channelling inner drive to achieve goals.
Mystery: Appreciating the unknown and finding excitement in discovery.
Nature: Valuing and connecting with the natural world.
Neat: Maintaining orderliness and simplicity in surroundings.
Open-minded: Being receptive to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.
Optimism: Approaching life with a positive outlook and hopefulness.
Organization: Structuring tasks and priorities for efficiency and clarity.
Originality: Expressing creativity and individuality in thoughts or actions.
Partnership: Building strong, collaborative relationships.
Passion: Pursuing activities and goals with enthusiasm and intensity.
Patience: Remaining calm and composed during delays or challenges.
Peace: Living in harmony with oneself and others.
Personal Development: Continuously improving skills, mindset, and self-awareness.
Personal Growth: Striving for betterment in all aspects of life.
Philanthropy: Contributing to the welfare of others through generosity and compassion.
Potential: Recognizing and nurturing one’s capabilities.
Power: Harnessing strength and influence to achieve goals.
Practical: Prioritizing realistic and effective solutions.
Proactive: Taking initiative and anticipating needs before they arise.
Professionalism: Upholding high standards of conduct and expertise in work.
Profitability: Generating financial success and sustainability.
Pursuit: Actively chasing dreams and aspirations.
Quality: Striving for excellence in all endeavors.
Real: Living authentically and honestly.
Recognition: Acknowledging achievements and contributions of self or others.
Relationships: Building meaningful and supportive connections with others.
Relaxation: Prioritizing rest and rejuvenation for well-being.
Resourceful: Finding creative solutions with available resources.
Respect: Valuing the dignity and worth of others.
Responsibility: Being accountable for one’s actions and commitments.
Security: Creating a stable and safe environment for oneself and others.
Self-awareness: Understanding one’s emotions, values, and behaviours.
Self-control: Exercising restraint and discipline in actions and decisions.
Self-reliance: Trusting in one’s abilities and independence.
Service: Helping others and contributing positively to society.
Skillfulness: Mastering abilities and techniques in a chosen field.
Spirituality: Connecting with deeper meaning and purpose in life.
Spontaneous: Embracing the unexpected and living in the moment.
Stability: Creating consistency and dependability in life.
Strength: Demonstrating resilience and courage in adversity.
Success: Achieving goals and finding fulfilment in accomplishments.
Sustainability: Protecting resources and the environment for future generations.
Synergy: Collaborating to create results greater than individual efforts.
Teamwork: Working together effectively to achieve common goals.
Thankful: Expressing gratitude for life’s blessings and opportunities.
Teaching: Sharing knowledge to inspire and educate others.
Training: Developing skills and competencies through practice and education.
Tranquil: Embracing calmness and serenity in life.
Travel: Exploring new places and cultures for personal growth.
Trust: Building confidence and reliability in relationships.
Understanding: Showing empathy and compassion toward others’ experiences.
Unity: Promoting harmony and connection within communities.
Unique: Embracing individuality and celebrating differences.
Universal: Valuing shared humanity and global perspectives.
Value: Recognizing the worth of people, ideas, and experiences.
Vital: Prioritizing energy, health, and vibrancy in life.
Warm: Creating a welcoming and kind atmosphere for others.
Wealth: Striving for abundance and financial stability.
Wisdom: Applying knowledge and experience to make thoughtful decisions.
Work-Life Balance: Finding harmony between career and personal life.
Download The Core Values Workbook
How Can I Create My Own List Of Values?
Just knowing your core values can change your behaviour and, how you see things, the ways you experience life.
One way to identify your core values is to reflect on your life and ask yourself a few questions. When you answer the questions, think of the times that you felt good and know that the choices you were making were good.
1) Think of a time when you were at your happiest.
A peak moment in your life.
What were you doing?
Who was with you?
What contributed to your happiness?
2) Think of a time when you felt most fulfilled.
What were you doing?
Who was with you?
What contributed to you feeling fulfilled?
3) Think of a time that you were really proud of yourself.
What were you doing?
Who was with you?
What contributed to you feeling so proud of yourself?
4) What would you do if you won the lottery?
How would you spend your time? Would you still work, or would you volunteer? Would you travel?
What would your ideal day look like if you could do anything?
Who will you spend your time with?
Would you give to family, friends, or charities?
The information you gather from the questions above will help you identify what your current values are and the values you would like to embrace.
How many core values should you have?
There is no set number of values that you should live by. However, it is best to narrow down your list to five to ten values. There are a few ways to narrow down your list.
First, identify your values, then rank them in order of importance. Reflect on the value and how it guides you daily.
The second way is to identify your values and group them into themes.
For example;
Personal growth, personal development, learning, and guidance are all values that are related.
Values like belonging, relationships, self-love, and intimacy are also related.
In the two groups mentioned above, the first value could be growth, and the second value is love or relationships.
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
Albert Schweitzer
Living by your core values
Your values help you turn your dreams into goals, and with action, your goals into reality.
To help you remain focused on your personal growth and living by your personal values, choose one of the values as your word for the year.
Another way to keep your goals in mind is to create a vision board. The pictures you choose may also be grouped into themes related to your values.
You could even write your core values down into an affirmation or value statement with an emotion attached. For example, ‘I take mindful walks near the beach and lake to re-energise my body and soul’.
Many times in life, we say ‘yes’ when we want to say ‘no’. Practice asking yourself questions that help you make the best decision for yourself. Break the people-pleasing habit by linking the question to your core values. Practice self-care by establishing your values and setting boundaries guided by your personal beliefs and values.
As you make choices throughout the day, decide if you are living in alignment with your personal values. If you often sway away from your values, revisit the list of values and redefine what life success means to you.
Download The Core Values Workbook
Open your arms to change but don’t let go of your values.
Dalai Lama
