A values list worksheet is a practical tool that helps you identify your core personal values by starting with a comprehensive list and systematically narrowing down to what matters most—typically your top 5-10 values. Personal values are the beliefs and principles that guide your decisions, relationships, and work. Research from Yale professor Amy Wrzesniewski shows that people who clarify their values and align their work with them report significantly higher life and work satisfaction.
Key Takeaways
- Values are different from goals: Goals are destinations you reach; values are ongoing directions you move toward in work and life
- The narrowing process creates clarity: Start with 50-100 values, identify 20-30 that resonate, then narrow to your top 5-10 core values
- Values clarity helps with big decisions: When you know what matters most, career transitions and life choices become clearer—not easier, but clearer
- This is a journey, not a one-time fix: Your values can evolve, and it’s worth revisiting this exercise as you grow and change
What Is a Values List Worksheet?
A values list worksheet is a structured exercise that helps you move from vague awareness (“I want meaningful work”) to specific clarity (“I value autonomy, creativity, and service to others”). It works by having you review a comprehensive list of values, identify the ones that resonate, and then narrow down to your core 5-10.
You’ve probably tried to figure out what you value. Maybe you came up with vague words like “happiness” or “success” and felt stuck. That’s normal.
Here’s the thing: values clarification doesn’t solve everything, but it gives you a compass when you’re feeling lost. And when you’re trying to figure out what meaningful work looks like for you, a compass is exactly what you need.
Wrzesniewski’s research identified three ways people relate to their work: as a job (pays the bills), as a career (advancement and achievement), or as a calling (personally, socially, and morally significant). People with a calling orientation don’t just happen to find perfect jobs. They see their work as aligned with their values at a deep level.
Values work isn’t magic. But it’s worth doing.
Before we get to the worksheet itself, let’s clear up a common confusion.
Values vs. Goals (And Why the Difference Matters)
Values are not the same as goals, and mixing them up is one of the most common ways people get stuck. Here’s the difference: values are ongoing directions you keep moving toward (like heading West), while goals are specific destinations you can achieve and complete (like reaching the river).
According to the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) framework, “Values are not goals—they can’t be accomplished, you can’t check them off a checklist, and there’s no end game.” A value is like heading West; no matter how far West you go, you never get there. A goal is like the river or mountain you aim to cross while traveling in that direction.
This trips people up all the time.
Here’s what this looks like practically:
- Value: Learning, growth, curiosity
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Goal aligned with that value: Complete a UX design certification by June
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Value: Service, contribution, helping others
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Goal aligned with that value: Volunteer 10 hours this month at the food bank
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Value: Creativity, self-expression, beauty
- Goal aligned with that value: Finish writing the first draft of my novel
You can achieve goals. You can check them off. Values? You keep moving toward them.
And that’s actually good news. Because it means you don’t have to wait to “achieve” integrity or “complete” compassion. You just have to keep moving in that direction.
Now that you know what values actually are, let’s walk through how to identify yours.
How to Use a Values List Worksheet (Step-by-Step)
The values clarification process works by starting broad and systematically narrowing down. Most frameworks follow a similar pattern: begin with a list of 50-100 common values, identify 20-30 that resonate with you, narrow to your top 10, and finally identify your core 5-10 values.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Start with a comprehensive values list
You’ll need a list to work from. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead provides a list of 100+ values. PositivePsychology.com offers multiple worksheet formats. Pick one that feels complete but not overwhelming.
Don’t overthink it at this stage. Just get a list in front of you.
Step 2: First pass—identify 20-30 values that resonate
Read through the entire list first. Don’t analyze; just notice which words make you sit up a little straighter, which ones make you think “yes, that matters.”
Circle or highlight anything that feels important. You’re not committing to anything yet. This is just noticing.
You’ll probably end up with 20-30 values marked. That’s perfect.
Step 3: Second pass—narrow to 10
Now it gets harder.
Look at your list of 20-30. Some of them overlap. “Creativity” and “self-expression” might be pointing at the same thing for you. Group the similar ones together.
Then ask yourself: which of these would I be unwilling to compromise? Which ones, if I had to violate them consistently, would make me feel like I was betraying myself?
You’ll be staring at your list thinking “but they’re all important!” I know. They are. But this is about identifying the non-negotiables—the ones at the core.
Narrow down to about 10.
Step 4: Final pass—identify your core 5-10
Some frameworks (like Brené Brown’s) ask you to narrow all the way down to your top 2 core values. Others suggest 5-10. There’s no perfect number.
The key is focus, not perfection.
Look at your remaining 10 values. If you had to pick the 5-7 that are absolutely central to who you are, which would they be?
Don’t get paralyzed trying to pick the “right” values. Pick the ones that feel true right now. You can revisit this.
Step 5: Test them
Once you have your core 5-10 values, sit with them for a few days.
- Do these feel true to who you are?
- Would someone who knows you well recognize these in you?
- Do any of them conflict with each other? (That’s okay—life is messy)
If they feel right, you’ve got your list.
If something feels off, adjust. This isn’t a test you can fail.
Okay, you’ve got your list. Now what?
What to Do With Your Values List
Once you’ve identified your core values, they become a decision-making tool—especially for the big stuff like career changes, job offers, and how you spend your time.
Wrzesniewski’s research shows that people who view their work as a calling (not just a job or career) see it as aligned with their values at a deep level—personally, socially, and morally significant. Values clarity is part of finding your calling.
Here’s how to use your values list:
As a decision filter for career moves
When you’re considering a new job, a career pivot, or even just a new project, run it through your values:
- Which of my core values would this opportunity allow me to express?
- Which values might be compromised?
- What’s the trade-off I’m making?
Your values don’t make the decision for you, but they help you ask better questions.
To identify misalignment in your current work
If you have a “good job” that feels hollow, your values list can help you understand why.
Look at your core values. Now look at your current role. Which values are being met? Which aren’t?
If “creativity” is a core value and your current role has you following rigid procedures all day, that misalignment is why Mondays feel heavy. The job might be paying well and offering good benefits, but if it’s violating your core values, something’s going to have to give eventually.
Sometimes a job meets some values and violates others. That’s real life. The clarity helps you understand the trade-offs you’re making.
To live into your values (not just identify them)
Brené Brown talks about operationalizing values—turning them from abstract words into concrete behaviors.
If “integrity” is a core value, what does that look like in your daily work? Does it mean speaking up when you see something wrong? Does it mean keeping your commitments even when it’s inconvenient?
Values aren’t just words you identify. They’re directions you move toward through your choices.
One last thing worth talking about.
When Values Change (And That’s Okay)
Your values can change as you grow, and that’s not only normal—it’s healthy. What mattered in your twenties might shift in your thirties or forties as you gain new experiences, face different challenges, and evolve as a person.
The value that drives you at 25 might not be the one that drives you at 45.
Major life events can shift values. Becoming a parent. Losing someone you love. Going through a career crisis or burnout. A global pandemic that upends everything. These experiences change us, and it makes sense that our values might shift too.
This doesn’t mean you were “wrong” before. It means you’re not the same person you were five years ago.
Values clarity is a journey, not a destination. It’s worth revisiting this exercise every few years, or after a major life transition.
Your Next Step
Values clarity won’t solve everything, but it will give you a compass. And when you’re trying to figure out what meaningful work looks like for you, a compass is exactly what you need.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need perfect clarity on every value or how they all fit together.
You just need to take the next step.
Grab a values list. Spend 30 minutes with it. See what emerges. The path is squiggly. But the next step is all that matters.
I believe in you.
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A values list worksheet helps you identify your core values by narrowing from a comprehensive list to your top 5-10. Learn the step-by-step process and how to use your values for career decisions.
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