Values are the qualities and principles that help you decide what matters, what kind of person you want to be and how you want to act. A values assessment is not about finding the “correct” priorities. It is about noticing whether your daily choices reflect what matters to you.
This coaching tool is designed to help you identify your current values, measure alignment and choose one behaviour that brings everyday life closer to those values.
How to Use This Assessment
Work slowly. Values are different from goals. A goal can be completed; a value is a direction you can keep expressing. For example, “get promoted” is a goal, while “growth,” “contribution” or “financial responsibility” may be values underneath it.
Part 1: Select Your Values
Choose up to 10 values that feel important to you now:
Achievement, Adventure, Authenticity, Balance, Belonging, Calm, Compassion, Contribution, Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Discipline, Family, Fairness, Faith, Freedom, Friendship, Fun, Growth, Health, Honesty, Independence, Kindness, Knowledge, Leadership, Learning, Loyalty, Meaning, Openness, Peace, Reliability, Respect, Responsibility, Security, Service, Stability, Success, Trust, Wisdom.
Add your own if needed: ____________________
Part 2: Reduce the List to Five
For each of your 10 values, ask:
- Would I still care about this if nobody praised me for it?
- Would I choose it even if it were inconvenient?
- Does it describe how I want to live, not just what I want to own or achieve?
- When I ignore this value, do I feel disconnected from myself?
Select your five core values.
Part 3: Rate Importance and Alignment
| Value | Importance 0–10 | Current alignment 0–10 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. | |||
| 4. | |||
| 5. |
Subtract alignment from importance. A larger gap suggests an area worth exploring in coaching. It does not mean you are failing.
Part 4: Behavioural Evidence
For each core value, complete these prompts:
- I know I am living this value when I…
- I move away from this value when I…
- A small behaviour that would express this value this week is…
Values become useful when they can be translated into observable choices.
Part 5: Competing Values
Sometimes two important values pull in different directions. Examples include ambition versus family time, freedom versus security, honesty versus harmony, or achievement versus recovery.
Choose one current tension and answer:
- Which two values are competing?
- What does each value protect?
- What would an extreme version of each look like?
- What would a “both-and” solution look like?
- What trade-off am I consciously willing to make?
Part 6: Values-Based Decision Check
Use these questions before an important decision:
- Which option is most consistent with my core values?
- Which option am I choosing mainly to avoid discomfort or disapproval?
- What are the likely costs of each choice?
- What will I respect about this decision six months from now?
- What information do I still need before deciding?
Part 7: One-Week Alignment Experiment
- Value I want to express more: ____________________
- Specific behaviour: ____________________
- When I will do it: ____________________
- Likely obstacle: ____________________
- If that obstacle appears, then I will: ____________________
Research on self-concordant goals suggests that goals connected to personally meaningful values may be easier to sustain than goals driven mainly by external pressure.
Reflection Questions
- Which value is strongest in my words but weakest in my calendar?
- Which value did I inherit from family or culture but no longer fully choose?
- Where am I overusing one value at the expense of another?
- Which relationship or responsibility best reflects the person I want to be?
- What would I stop doing if I trusted my values more?
Matching Worksheet
Ready to turn your values into concrete weekly choices? Use the Values-to-Action Worksheet.
Useful Internal Guides
Key Takeaways
- Values are directions, not achievements.
- Alignment matters more than having a “perfect” values list.
- Large importance–alignment gaps can reveal useful coaching priorities.
- Conflicting values often require conscious trade-offs rather than a simple right answer.
- Translate one value into one visible behaviour this week.
References
- Koestner R et al. Self-concordance, implementation intentions and personal goal progress
- International Coaching Federation: Code of Ethics
Disclaimer: This values assessment is for coaching, personal development and self-help purposes only. It is not a medical or mental-health test and does not diagnose any condition. If your reflections bring up persistent distress, major changes in mood, anxiety, sleep, functioning, substance use, trauma-related symptoms or safety concerns, discuss them with a qualified medical or mental-health provider. A coaching assessment should not replace professional evaluation or treatment.
