153 Personal Values Examples: Discover Your Unique Core Values

Discovering your personal values is essential for living a life true to yourself: they guide your behavior and decision-making process. In this article, you will find 153 personal values examples that can help you identify and prioritize your own set of values. Reflecting on these examples can provide insights into what truly matters to you, allowing you to make choices with greater clarity and confidence. As you explore this list of values, remember that there is no hierarchy or universal set of “correct” values. Each person’s values are unique, shaped by individual experiences and perspectives.

Understanding Personal Values

Personal values are the core beliefs that guide your decision-making process, behaviors, and interactions with others. They help you differentiate right from wrong and set your priorities in life. By understanding your personal values, you can make clearer choices and discover what truly matters to you.

To identify your values, start by considering how you define success, happiness, and the kind of person you want to be. Reflect on your past experiences, both positive and negative: they often reveal values that shaped your decisions and actions.

Another helpful method is to consider the admirable qualities of people you look up to. Be honest with yourself about what resonates with you and what doesn’t. It’s essential to remember that your personal values are unique to you, and there’s no one-size-fits-all list.

Take your time as you explore these values and remember that they may change over time as you grow and evolve. Embrace the journey of self-discovery!

Values List

Accountability – Taking responsibility for your actions and decisions.
Adaptability – Being able to adjust to new situations and environments.
Adventure – Seeking out new experiences and challenges.
Altruism – Putting the needs of others before your own.
Ambition – Having a strong desire to achieve success and reach your goals.
Authenticity – Being true to yourself and your beliefs.
Balance – Maintaining a sense of equilibrium in all aspects of your life.
Beauty – Appreciating and seeking out beauty in all its forms.
Belonging – Feeling a sense of belonging and connection to others.
Boldness – Being willing to take risks and make bold decisions.
Calmness – Maintaining a sense of composure and tranquility in stressful situations.
Care – Showing concern and compassion for others.
Challenge – Seeking out challenges and pushing yourself to grow and develop.
Character – Having strong moral and ethical values.
Clarity – Having a clear understanding of your goals and values.
Collaboration – Working well with others and valuing teamwork.
Commitment – Being dedicated and loyal to your goals and values.
Compassion – Showing kindness and empathy towards others.
Confidence – Believing in yourself and your abilities.
Connection – Building strong relationships with others.
Consistency – Maintaining a sense of reliability and predictability.
Courage – Facing challenges and adversity with bravery and strength.
Creativity – Expressing yourself through art, music, writing, or other forms of creativity.
Curiosity – Having a desire to learn and explore new ideas and concepts.
Decisiveness – Making clear and timely decisions.
Dedication – Being committed to your goals and values.
Dependability – Being reliable and trustworthy.
Determination – Persisting in the face of obstacles and challenges.
Discipline – Maintaining a sense of self-control and focus.
Diversity – Valuing and respecting differences in people and cultures.
Drive – Having a strong motivation to succeed.
Empathy – Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
Endurance – Being able to persevere through difficult situations.
Energy – Having a high level of enthusiasm and vitality.
Excellence – Striving for excellence in all aspects of your life.
Exploration – Seeking out new experiences and ideas.
Fairness – Treating others with fairness and justice.
Faith – Having strong beliefs and a sense of spirituality.
Family – Valuing and prioritizing your family relationships.
Flexibility – Being adaptable and open to change.
Focus – Maintaining a sense of concentration and attention to detail.
Forgiveness – Being able to forgive others and yourself.
Freedom – Valuing personal freedom and independence.
Friendship – Building and maintaining strong friendships.
Fun – Seeking out enjoyment and pleasure in life.
Generosity – Giving freely and generously to others.
Gratitude – Being thankful and appreciative for what you have.
Growth – Continuously growing and developing as a person.
Happiness – Pursuing happiness and joy in life.
Harmony – Striving for balance and harmony in all aspects of your life.
Health – Prioritizing and maintaining good physical and mental health.
Honesty – Being truthful and transparent in all your actions and interactions.
Honor – Having a strong sense of integrity and honor.
Hope – Maintaining a sense of optimism and hope for the future.
Humility – Being humble and modest in your actions and interactions.
Humor – Appreciating and using humor to bring joy and laughter to others.
Imagination – Using your imagination to create and innovate.
Independence – Valuing and prioritizing personal independence and autonomy.
Initiative – Taking action and being proactive in achieving your goals.
Innovation – Seeking out new and creative solutions to problems.
Integrity – Maintaining strong moral and ethical values.
Intensity – Pursuing your goals and passions with intensity and fervor.
Intimacy – Building and maintaining deep and meaningful relationships with others.
Joy – Finding joy and happiness in life.
Justice – Striving for fairness and justice for all.
Kindness – Showing kindness and compassion towards others.
Knowledge – Pursuing knowledge and education.
Leadership – Being a strong and effective leader.
Learning – Continuously learning and growing as a person.
Legacy – Leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
Liberty – Valuing personal freedom and liberty.
Life – Valuing and cherishing life in all its forms.
Love – Showing love and affection towards others.
Loyalty – Being loyal and committed to your relationships and commitments.
Mastery – Striving for mastery and excellence in your skills and abilities.
Meaning – Finding meaning and purpose in life.
Mindfulness – Being present and aware in the moment.
Moderation – Practicing moderation and balance in all aspects of your life.
Motivation – Maintaining a strong motivation to achieve your goals.
Nature – Valuing and appreciating the natural world.
Nurturing – Providing care and support to others.
Openness – Being open to new ideas and perspectives.
Open-mindedness – Being open to new ideas and perspectives.
Optimism – Maintaining a positive outlook on life.
Order – Valuing order and organization in your life.
Originality – Being original and unique in your thoughts and actions.
Passion – Pursuing your passions and interests with enthusiasm.
Patience – Being patient and understanding in difficult situations.
Peace – Valuing peace and tranquility in your life and relationships.
Perseverance – Persisting through difficult challenges and obstacles.
Persistence – Continuing to pursue your goals despite setbacks and failures.
Playfulness – Embracing a sense of playfulness and fun in your life.
Poise – Maintaining a sense of grace and composure in difficult situations.
Positivity – Maintaining a positive attitude and outlook on life.
Power – Using your power and influence for good.
Precision – Pursuing accuracy and precision in your work and actions.
Preparedness – Being prepared and ready for any situation.
Privacy – Valuing and respecting personal privacy and boundaries.
Productivity – Being productive and efficient in your work and tasks.
Professionalism – Maintaining a sense of professionalism and integrity in your work.
Progress – Striving for progress and growth in all aspects of your life.
Prosperity – Seeking out prosperity and abundance in your life.
Punctuality – Being punctual and on time for your commitments.
Quality – Pursuing quality and excellence in your work and actions.
Rationality – Making decisions based on reason and logic.
Realism – Being realistic and practical in your expectations and actions.
Recognition – Seeking recognition and acknowledgement for your accomplishments.
Reflection – Reflecting on your actions and decisions to learn and grow.
Reliability – Being reliable and trustworthy in your commitments.
Resilience – Bouncing back from setbacks and challenges.
Respect – Showing respect and consideration towards others.
Responsibility – Taking responsibility for your actions and decisions.
Results-oriented – Focusing on achieving results and outcomes.
Risk-taking – Being willing to take calculated risks.
Safety – Prioritizing safety and security in your life and relationships.
Self-awareness – Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Self-care – Prioritizing self-care and self-nurturing.
Self-control – Maintaining self-control and discipline in your actions and decisions.
Self-improvement – Continuously improving and developing yourself.
Selflessness – Putting the needs of others before your own.
Sensitivity – Being sensitive and empathetic towards others.
Serenity – Maintaining a sense of calm and peace in your life.
Service – Serving and helping others.
Simplicity – Valuing simplicity and minimalism in your life.
Sincerity – Being sincere and genuine in your actions and interactions.
Skill-building – Continuously building and developing your skills and abilities.
Spirituality – Having a sense of spirituality and connection to a higher power.
Stability – Valuing stability and security in your life and relationships.
Strength – Being strong and resilient in the face of challenges and adversity.
Success – Pursuing success and achievement in your life.
Support – Providing support and encouragement to others.
Sustainability – Valuing and prioritizing sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Teamwork – Working well with others and valuing teamwork.
Tenacity – Having a strong determination and persistence in achieving your goals.
Thoughtfulness – Being thoughtful and considerate towards others.
Tolerance – Being tolerant and accepting of differences in people and cultures.
Tradition – Valuing and respecting traditions and cultural heritage.
Tranquility – Maintaining a sense of calm and tranquility in your life.
Trust – Building and maintaining trust in your relationships.
Trustworthiness – Being trustworthy and reliable in your commitments.
Understanding – Seeking to understand others and their perspectives.
Unity – Valuing and promoting unity and cooperation.
Vision – Having a clear vision and purpose for your life.
Vitality – Maintaining a sense of energy and vitality in your life.
Warmth – Showing warmth and kindness towards others.
Wealth – Pursuing wealth and financial success.
Well-being – Prioritizing and maintaining good physical and mental health.
Wisdom – Seeking and valuing wisdom and experience.
Wonder – Embracing a sense of wonder and awe towards the world.
Work-life balance – Maintaining a balance between work and personal life.
Worldliness – Being knowledgeable and experienced in different cultures and languages.
Worthiness – Believing in your own worth and value.
Zeal – Pursuing your goals and passions with enthusiasm and excitement.

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Categories of Personal Values

When discovering your own values, it’s helpful to categorize them into different areas of your life. This will make it easier for you to determine what’s most important to you, and can help guide your decisions across various aspects. Below, you’ll find five main categories of personal values:

Relationship and Family Values

Your relationship and family values represent the beliefs and priorities you hold in your personal relationships, whether it’s with your spouse, children, family, or friends. Some examples are:

Love
Loyalty
Respect
Trust
Commitment
Empathy
Responsibility

Career and Success Values

Values in this category usually revolve around your work and professional aspirations. They can help guide you in the career choices you make and the manner in which you approach the road to success. Examples include:

Ambition
Professional growth
Work-life balance
Job satisfaction
Leadership
Professionalism
Integrity
Perseverance
Adaptability
Resourcefulness
Inspiration

Personal Growth Values

These are the values related to your personal development, self-improvement, and well-being. They can influence how you choose to invest your time and effort into learning new skills or seeking out personal growth opportunities. Some examples are:

Continued learning
Creativity
Personal development
Resilience
Self-awareness
Spirituality
Wisdom
Curiosity
Humility
Self-acceptance

Health and Well-Being Values

These values are connected to your overall physical, mental, and emotional health – how you prioritize self-care and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Examples include:

Exercise
Healthy eating
Mental well-being
Stress reduction
Self-care
Resilience
Rest and relaxation

Social Values

Social values concern your beliefs and attitudes towards society as a whole, and relate to how you engage with different social groups and contribute to the common good. Examples of social values are:

Community engagement
Environmental sustainability
Equality
Social responsibility
Tolerance
Compassion
Service
Stewardship
Sustainability
Equality

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Finding Your Own Personal Values

To find your own values, follow these steps:

Reflect on your experiences:
Your life experiences shape your values. Think about significant moments, decisions, and relationships in your life. What lessons have you learned, and how have they impacted your values system?
Identify common themes:
As you dig deeper into your experiences, try to identify recurring themes. Look for patterns and connect the dots to determine which personal values underpin your thoughts and actions.
Make a list of values:
Begin by creating a list of values that resonate with you. Don’t feel limited to conventional values – this is your personal journey, and your list should be authentic to your experiences and beliefs.
Prioritize your values:
After identifying the values that resonate with you, prioritize them by importance. This ranking will help you understand which values are non-negotiable and essential to your well-being.
Test your values:
Put your values to the test by imagining different scenarios in which they might be challenged. Consider how you would handle each situation and assess whether your values truly align with your actions.

Keep in mind that your personal values may change and evolve over time, and it is useful to continually reevaluate and refine your values to ensure they remain relevant and accurate to who you are.

Aligning Your Goals with Your Values

Aligning your goals with your values ensures that you not only stay true to yourself, but also enjoy the journey while working towards these objectives.

Make a list of your top values.
Reflect on past experiences and identify moments where you felt fulfilled and satisfied. This will help you recognize the values that are most important to you.
Once you have identified your values, start setting goals that align with them. Try to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to increase the likelihood of success.
Create a vision board or write down your goals to increase your focus and commitment.
Design a step-by-step action plan to achieve your goals.
Regularly review and track your progress, making adjustments when needed.

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Uncovering your personal values is an ongoing process, and your values may evolve over time. Give yourself the flexibility to grow and adapt, and don’t be afraid to reevaluate your choices.

Posted in: Personal Growth

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