How to Define Your Personal Core Values ( 4 Key Steps)

Have you ever set aside the time to focus your personal core values and what important to you?

The real reason behind the things things you do or don’t do. 

It comes down to your personal core values.

Your personal core values are a way to determine if you are on the right track in your life or if things in your life that needs to be removed. 

It’s incredible how these values play an essential part in your overall happiness, success, and confidence in the choices presented in front of you.

So, what is important to you?

Are you finally ready to set up your life for a positive change?

The Types of Core Values

Personal core values–  the relationship and expectations of yourself

Business core values– the values your business holds

Relationship core values- the values couples have in a relationship

Workplace core values– organizational values and the culture of the workplace

Why is Personal Core Values Important and How to Use them in Life?

Understanding your personal core values can help bring clarity to life and self discovery.

Core values help you define your priorities and gain clarity through reflection.

As nicely stated in Your Dictonary,

“Some examples of core values people might have about life include the following:

• A belief, or lack thereof, in God or an affiliation with a religious/spiritual institution
• A belief in being a good steward of resources and in exercising frugality
• A belief that family is of fundamental importance
• A belief that honesty is always the best policy and that trust has to be earned
• A belief in maintaining a healthy work/life balance”

Core Life Values Examples

DownLoad Free Personal Core Vaules List

Life Values (personal)

Your personal core values defines you as a person. 

By defining your personal core values, you are streamlining your decision-making process.

Do you ever feel like you’re not sure if you’re making the right choice? Basically, you’re not confident in your decision-making process.

Your thinking I don’t have my life together should I think about this, is there a way I can add a side hustle in my life, would that affect my family, should I start now or wait, or would it work out in my favor anyway.

Yes, trying to decide ANYTHING becomes difficult.

Having personal core values makes decision making in life easier.

Life values ( career) 

If you’re trying to decide which future career is right for you, what would be a good side hustle- or if you should just quit and start a business, then this an excellent place to start.

Then your personal core life values make that decision must more simple.

For example, I had been offer two jobs but I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to take.

So the first thing I did was research how to make a decision with two jobs. I was intrigued by using core life values to make critical decisions.

And ask myself questions so that the decision aligns with my truth and who I am.

Not only did I list out the pros and cons of each, such as pay, distance, flexibility, promotion potential, and environment, but I wrote what the company core values were determined if it lined up with mine.

One of my core values is meaningful work. I wanted the job to be meaningful and made me feel a sense of purpose. While one job was statistics, and the other helped farmers open up a business, it was clear to me which one would make me happier. 

Life values ( relationships)

Personal core values also affect relationships. My husband and I both have similar core values, which make decision making as a team easy. We are both family people; therefore, if there was an event taking place and the decision was between a family event such as a birthday party and extra hours at work, we will both pick family.

Not saying you and your partner must have the same value, but if you understood their values and vice versa, you could anticipate how they move in life and their viewpoint of topics. 

Step 1: List things important and meaningful to you.

We all understand that what you consider important now can change in the future, but now, let’s focus on the now.

If you have a hard time figuring that out, then think of things in your life that does or has made you happy.

What are the similarities?

For me, the important things are my kids, husband (love), health, god (spirituality), empowering others ( meaningful work), feeling free, alone time, trust, drive, growth, happiness, connection, positivity, authenticity, and adventure. 

If you’re having trouble, then look at the core values list. 

Step 2: Pay Attention to Things that Resurface

Are there things in your life that tends to have the similar outcomes?

You may continue picking a particular type of guy.

You may get upset with the similar situations arise.

Or keep quitting and starting a different job.

What you are looking for are instances in your life that you see come up over and over.

With those issues in mind write down why each situation makes you feel a particular way.

If you are happy, then what is it.. focus on keywords.

If you are angry, then what is it about the situation that make you angry.

You will see a pattern and realize that many of your values align with your decision-making process.

I used this process in my journal to understand why I continued to delete friends from my life.

I realize that my core values in friendships are trust, loyalty, honest, not judging or competing with me.

Many friends in my life did not uphold my personal core values, which often hit a trigger for me and caused our friendship to end.

At least now, moving forward, I can be honest about what I need in a friendship and what kind of relationship I need.

Related: How to Strengthen Relationships + Personality Quiz

Step 3: Rank Your Core Values

Now that you have a list of core values that are important to you, rank them.

First separate them into categories and then make one overall ranking list.

You may have your top 5-8 that speak to you in relationships, career, etc.

Rank those in order of predominance.

It may look like for career/business

1. meaningful work
2. flexibility
3. growth
4. environment
5. inventive

Now that you have completed your list define them.

Step 4: Define your Core Value List

Now this is the fun part.

For each word you chose, define what it means to you. There is no way each word can mean the same thing to everyone. Use this step to help with self-discovery and allow the things you write down to manifest into reality.

This section would look like..

Meaningful work–
– doing something that empowers or impact others positivity
– something that makes me feel fulfilled inside
– allowing me to make an impact in the world

Now you’re turn…

Final thoughts: Personal Core Values

Life core values are a powerful way to help build confidence in your decisions, understand yourself, and simplify life.

I encourage you to use these core values list to help you create the future you envision, especially when you don’t know where to start.

What are your personal core values? Have identified them before?