You’ve probably seen core values on office walls and company websites. Words like integrity, excellence, and innovation that sound good but feel generic.
But core values aren’t just for corporations. They’re for you, personally. And if you haven’t taken time to define yours, you’re navigating your career without a compass.
Why Personal Core Values Matter
Everyone has a set of characteristics they find most important and a collection of fundamentals they won’t compromise on.
The problem? Not everyone has taken the time to articulate them. And when we neglect to identify these things, we become susceptible to doing things and accepting responsibilities that don’t align with our beliefs.
We say yes when we should say no. We drift into roles that look successful — but feel hollow.
A Simple 5-Step Process
Here’s how I help coaching clients discover their core values:
1. Start with a hundred. Get a comprehensive list of potential values: things like family, integrity, adventure, creativity, status, wisdom. The book resources include a full list.
2. Circle what resonates. Don’t overthink it. Anything that makes you say “yes, that’s important to me” qualifies.
3. Narrow to 20-25. Ask yourself: “Is this value essential to who I am? Would I feel a sense of loss if it were absent from my life?”
4. Cut in half. Look for overlap. If you’ve chosen both “friendship” and “relationships,” pick one to represent both.
5. Choose your five. Which values feel most foundational? Which guide your decision-making and bring fulfillment?
The Payoff
When you know your core values, decisions get easier. You stop chasing opportunities that look good but don’t fit. You build a life that feels like yours.
This exercise is one of the first steps in the Goodness Journey, because you can’t identify your reasons for the path ahead without understanding what matters most.
What are your five?
