Find Your Core Values: Live Authentically

Summary: Uncover your core values with practical exercises, tests, and daily strategies to make choices that match who you are.

Introduction

Uncovering your core values helps you make clearer choices and build a life that feels authentic. This short guide walks you through simple, searchable exercises to name the principles that drive you and use them as a practical decision filter.

Your Core Values Are Your Personal Compass

Ever felt like you’re drifting—making sensible choices that still leave you unsettled? That’s often a sign you’re disconnected from your core values.

Values act like an internal compass: they shape how you behave, what fulfillment looks like, and how you respond under pressure. When your daily life aligns with those values, decisions feel easier and life feels more purposeful. When you go against them, you may feel stressed, uninspired, or stuck.

The Practical Impact of Knowing What Drives You

Knowing your values isn’t just about feeling better—it's a tool for living with intention. This clarity supports stronger decision-making, greater resilience, and a deeper sense of fulfillment². For many people, family and close relationships consistently rank among their top priorities in large international surveys¹.

Common benefits of clarity include:

• Simpler decisions: Ask, “Which choice aligns with my values?”
• Greater resilience: Living authentically builds confidence to manage challenges
• More fulfillment: You spend energy on things that matter to you

Signs of Aligned vs. Misaligned Living

The contrast is clear: living out of sync with your values creates ongoing friction and wears you down.

“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.”

This guide gives tools to find your 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

It’s easy to confuse what you truly value with what you’ve absorbed from culture, family, or social expectations. The skill is filtering out that noise.

Aspirational vs. Authentic Values

Aspirational values are qualities you wish you had because they look appealing. Authentic values are ones you actually act on, especially when no one’s watching. Core values reflect who you are now, not just who you hope to become.

Other Confusing Value Types

• Accidental values: Beliefs adopted unconsciously from your environment
• Permission-to-play values: Basics like honesty or respect—essential, but often not your distinctive drivers

Ask where a value originated. If it came mainly from external pressure, it may not be a core value.

Practical Exercises to Uncover What Matters Most

Thinking about values is one thing; uncovering them is another. Use these exercises to cut through noise and reveal patterns.

Explore Peak and Valley Moments

List a few of your highest highs and lowest lows. What made each moment meaningful? Who was there? What value showed up in action? Values that appear in both peaks and valleys are often core.

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? Your first, gut-level answers are revealing.

Use the Contribution Compass

Look at who you admire and why. Ask:

• Who do I admire most?
• What qualities do they show?
• What impact do I want to have?

Those admired qualities often mirror the values you want to live and contribute.

From a Long List to Your Core Principles

After these exercises you may have a long list—“adventure,” “honesty,” “connection,” “growth.” Narrow that list to 5–7 non-negotiable principles that define you.

Group Related Ideas

Merge similar words under one powerful term. Ask: Which single word best represents this group? This helps you move from quantity to clarity.

Define Each Value Personally

Write a short, specific definition for each value. For example, “Freedom” could mean financial independence, flexible time, or creative autonomy—define what it means to you so each value becomes actionable.

Look for Clues in Your Life Path

Step back and look for recurring patterns. Personality frameworks or life-path tools can provide language for tendencies you already feel. Use them as cross-checks, not rulebooks. For internal reflection, explore related journal prompts or articles on self-discovery and values-based living.

How to Actually Live Your Values Every Day

Knowing your values is the start. The real work is weaving them into daily life. Use them as a decision filter for small choices and major moves.

Take a Values Audit

Audit key life areas—career, relationships, time, and money—to spot gaps between stated values and real behavior.

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

This audit isn’t about judgment. It’s about clarity. Recognize disconnects and take specific steps to close them. Consider a personal development plan rooted in your values.

Common Questions

How Often Should I Check In on My Values?

Values are generally stable but can shift. A yearly check-in is a useful rhythm, and it’s wise to revisit values during major life changes to make sure your compass still points true north³.

What if Some Values Seem to Clash?

Competing values—like Adventure and Security—are normal. Treat tension as creative space. Look for ways to honor both rather than forcing a trade-off.

I’ve Got My List. Now What?

Put 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.

Ready to continue your journey? Explore the Life Purpose App to cross-check your discoveries with a life-path framework: /apps/life-purpose. Also see related articles: /blog/values-exercises and /resources/journal-prompts.

Quick Q&A — Core Questions

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

A: Start with peak and valley moments. List three highs and three lows, then ask what made each meaningful. Patterns will emerge.

Q: How many core values should I keep?

A: Aim for 5–7 core principles. Fewer than five can be too 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.