What Are Your Personal Core Values?

Use this checklist to find out

When you are exploring your personal core values, it is not always easy to pin them down.

• Where do you begin?
• How do you identify them?

You may be the kind of person who goes blank when you are put on the spot with a tricky question!

If that is the case, don’t worry, help is at hand. Why not try this a simple checklist to get you thinking?

Using the Checklist

What I have created below is an inventory of core values that you can just read through and see which values ring true for you.

Print the list out and then just use ticks and crosses to mark off values that are important or not important to you. Or if you prefer, use a rating to help you work out which are more important.

It can be interesting to highlight the values that feel really ‘wrong’ for you. This can help you understand why certain situations feel uncomfortable and draining for you.

Your work and career can often be a typical example of a situation where your values are not being honoured. Maybe this is why you are thinking of a career change?

Personal Core Values Checklist

Remember that no list can ever be complete. There may be some additional personal values that are unique to you, so don’t be limited by what you find below. Just add anything else that feels right for you.

Acceptance	Fast pace	Power
Achievement	Financial rewards	Privacy
Adventure	Focus	Productivity
Altruism	Freedom	Promotion prospects
Ambition	Friendship	Reaching potential
Appreciation	Fun	Recognition
Authenticity	Happiness	Respect
Authority	Harmony	Responsibility
Autonomy	Health	Results
Balance	Helping others	Risk taking
Beauty	Honesty	Romance
Belonging	Humour	Routine
Challenge	Imagination	Security
Choice	Independence	Self expression
Collaboration	Influence	Service
Commitment	Intellect	Sharing
Community	Intuition	Solitude
Compassion	Justice	Spirituality
Competition	Kindness	Status
Connection	Leadership	Success
Contribution	Learning	Teaching
Creativity	Love	Team work
Equality	Loyalty	Tolerance
Excellence	Making a difference	Tradition
Excitement	Nature	Travel
Expertise	Nurturing	Trust
Fairness	Order	Variety
Faith	Passion	Winning
Fame	Peace	Wisdom
Family	Personal growth	Zest for life

I hope this checklist of personal core values will give you some food for thought and help you on the road to finding the career change idea that will be right for you.

Now go back to the core values exercises to review what these values mean for you.

Remember to keep a note of the core work and life values you identify in your Career Change Project File.

Why not continue exploring what makes you tick to help you with your Career Change Project? You can look at…

Your Skills

Your Interests

Your Personality

Your Achievements