Discover Your Core Values: Live Authentically

Summary: Discover your core values with practical exercises and make choices that align with your true self. Start living authentically today.

Introduction

Uncovering your core values is about getting to the heart of what makes you tick. It’s an inside job—examining moments you’re most proud of, what truly motivates you, and the beliefs you hold most dear. This isn’t just an exercise; it’s a framework for building a life that feels genuinely yours.

Think of this process as the first real step toward making your actions line up with what you actually care about.

Your Core Values Are Your Personal Compass

Ever felt like you’re just drifting? Making choices that seem smart on the surface but leave you feeling empty? That’s a common sign of being disconnected from your core values.

Your values are like an internal compass. They guide your behavior, shape how you see the world, and define what fulfillment looks like for you. When your daily life is in sync with this compass, decisions feel easier and life feels more purposeful. When you go against your values, you often feel stressed, uninspired, or stuck.

The Power of Knowing What Drives You

Figuring out your values isn’t just about feeling good—it's a practical tool for living intentionally. This kind of self-knowledge is central to self-awareness and emotional clarity. Knowing your drivers simplifies decisions, strengthens resilience, and makes life feel more fulfilling².

Although values are deeply personal, some themes are universal. A large international survey effort covering hundreds of thousands of respondents found that family and close relationships rank among the most influential values worldwide¹. When you’re clear on your personal drivers, a few things reliably happen:

• Decision-making gets simpler. Ask, “Which path aligns best with my values?”
• You become more resilient. Living authentically builds confidence for life’s challenges.
• Life feels more fulfilling. There’s satisfaction in aligning what you do with what you believe.

Signs of Aligned vs. Misaligned Living

The contrast is stark. Living out of sync with your values creates constant friction that wears on you over time.

The real benefit of knowing your core values is that they simplify your life. Instead of chasing what you think you should want, you pursue what genuinely resonates with your soul.

This guide will give you tools to find that personal compass. By the end, you’ll be able to name the principles already guiding you—even if you didn’t realize it before.

Sorting Through Different Kinds of Values

As you dig into what you value, it can get messy fast. It’s easy to confuse what you genuinely believe with a cultural trend, a family expectation, or something you think you should care about. The trick is learning to filter out that noise.

Aspirational vs. Authentic Values

A major hurdle is mixing up aspirational values with authentic ones. Aspirational values are qualities you wish you had—often because they look good to others. Authentic values are present in your life now; they guide you when no one’s watching. Your core values aren’t about who you want to be someday. They reflect who you are right now.

Other Values That Can Confuse You

• Accidental Values: Beliefs you’ve absorbed from your environment—family, culture, work—without consciously choosing them.
• Permission-to-Play Values: Basic standards like honesty or respect. They’re essential, but often the price of admission rather than your unique driving principles.

Questioning the origin of each potential value helps you peel back external pressures and see what truly drives you.

Practical Exercises to Uncover What Matters Most

Thinking about your values is one thing; uncovering them is another. These exercises are designed to cut through the noise and reveal the principles that have guided you.

Explore Your Peak and Valley Moments

Look at your most powerful experiences, both highs and lows. These moments reveal recurring themes in what matters most: teamwork, resilience, honesty, connection. Ask: What made that moment meaningful? Who was there? What value showed up in action?

The values that appear during your highest highs and lowest lows are often the real deal. They’re not aspirational; they’re the principles you live by when it truly matters.

Take the Unwavering Principles Test

Imagine you must give a short speech tomorrow on the three principles you believe are essential for a good life. What would you defend passionately? The first gut-level responses are often most revealing.

Use the Contribution Compass

Look outward. The qualities you admire most in others mirror what you value. Ask:

• Who do you admire most?
• What specific qualities do they have?
• What impact do you want to have?

Answers point directly to the values you want to live and contribute. For further reflection, see the self-discovery journal prompts linked earlier.

From a Long List to Your Core Principles

If you’ve done the exercises, you probably have a long, messy list—“adventure,” “honesty,” “connection,” “growth.” That’s a great start. The goal now is to narrow to 5–7 non-negotiable principles that truly define you.

Group and Combine Your Ideas

Look for patterns. Merge related words under one single, powerful term. Ask: Which word best represents this whole group? This moves you from quantity to quality.

Give Each Value a Personal Definition

Define what each word means to you. “Freedom” can mean many things. Make each value actionable and specific so it becomes a practical decision filter, rather than a vague aspiration.

Look for Clues in Your Life Path

Stepping back to see patterns in your life can help confirm or reveal values. Archetypal frameworks such as life-path systems or personality models can provide a new language for tendencies you already feel. Use these tools as cross-checks, not mandates.

How to Actually Live Your Values Every Day

Figuring out your core values is the first step. The real change happens when you weave those values into daily life. Use them as a filter for decisions, from small choices to major life moves.

Take a Values Audit

Conduct a simple audit of your main life areas—career, relationships, time and money. Where is there a gap between what you say you value and what you actually do?

• Career: Does your job honor your need for creativity or autonomy?
• Relationships: Are connections built on mutual trust and vulnerability?
• Time & Money: Do your calendar and bank statement reflect your priorities?

This audit isn’t about judgment. It’s about clarity. Recognizing disconnects lets you take specific steps to close those gaps. Consider building a personal development plan rooted in your values.

Common Questions

How Often Should I Check In on My Values?

Values are generally stable but not fixed. A yearly check-in is a useful rhythm, and it’s wise to revisit values during major life changes. Regular reflection helps ensure your internal compass still points true north³.

What if Some Values Seem to Clash?

It’s normal to have competing values, like Adventure and Security. See tension as creative space. Look for ways to honor both needs rather than sacrificing one for the other.

I’ve Got My List of Values. Now What?

Move one value into practice. Pick a specific situation—your morning routine or a weekly meeting—and ask, “How can I bring more of [value] into this?” Small, consistent actions build alignment over time.

Quick Q&A — Common User Questions

Q: How do I start if I don’t know where to begin?

A: Begin with peak and valley moments. List three high points and three low points, then ask what made each one meaningful. Patterns will emerge.

Q: How many core values should I keep?

A: Aim for 5–7 core principles. Fewer than five may feel narrow; more than seven becomes hard to apply.

Q: What if my values change over time?

A: That’s normal. Values can deepen or shift after major life events. Revisit them annually or when you experience big changes.

Ready to continue your journey? Explore the Life Purpose App to cross-check your discoveries with a life-path framework.