Values elicitation exercise: your 10 most important values
This tool allows you to clearly identify what values and beliefs are important to you and is a great way to help you focus on what you really want to create in your life. Your values may change over time, so it’s a good idea to add a date to this exercise once you’ve completed it. I suggest you print off this article and complete it with a pen and paper. There is something magical about committing things to paper that I have found to be more powerful than completing online forms and proformas.
Identifying your values
Circle any words which you feel relate to your own values. There is no minimum or maximum number. Just circle those that you feel strongly about. Feel free to add others which are important to you.
| Achievement | Supportiveness | Structure | Charity | Peace |
| Creativity | Fun | Ethics | Self discipline | Security |
| Kindness | Freedom | Reason | Trust | Health |
| Spirituality | Hedonism | Family | Leadership | Individuality |
| Integrity | Love | Justice | Happiness | Knowledge |
| Wisdom | Independence | Growth | Power | Pride |
| Dignity | Respect | Relationships | Risk | Community |
| Friendship | Self esteem | Religion | Beauty | Strength |
| Adventure | Surrender | Sacrifice | Honour | Truth |
| Intimacy | Honesty | Humility | Recognition | Service |
| Financial security | Confidence | Understanding | Sharing | |
Ranking your values
Now rank those values in number order where 1 is most important.
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| Others |
Identifying your values
Write down what is important to you at this point in your life and try to identify why you feel this is important and what this gives you. There is no minimum or maximum.
The things that are important to me at this stage in my life are:
| What is important | What this means to you | What this gives you |
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
Write down your top values in the shaded boxes below, both from top to bottom, and left to right. There is no need to fill in all the boxes if you have identified fewer important values. Next, compare each 2 pairs of values and decide which is the most important to you at this time. For example, Love and Family. Work DOWN each column, placing a 1 in the box BELOW the value you rank highest. In the example, Love is ranked higher than family, so there is a 1 below Love, and a 0 below family in their comparison boxes. Once you have worked down a column, move onto the next column and so on. When you have finished, add up the columns at the bottom to obtain your overall ranking. The higher the number, the more you rate that value. See the first table as an example then complete the second one for yourself.Ranking your values by comparison
You may like to comment on your findings. For example, do you feel this is a true reflection of your current values and their order of importance? Give a few reasons for your answers?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Have you done the wheel of life exercise too? This can help identify the areas of your life to work on first.