Core values finder: a free exercise to find your top 5 values

The short answer

Core values are the few things you most want your life and choices to stand for, such as honesty, family or curiosity. To find yours, tap every value that feels true from a long list, cut it to 10, then to your top 5, and write what each one looks like on a normal day. That last step turns a word into a habit.

How to find your core values in 3 steps

1. Keep. Go through the list and tap every value that feels true for you. Do not overthink it; you can untap later.
2. Narrow to 10. If you kept more than 10, choose the 10 you would least want to give up. Ask: "If I had to drop this, would my life feel wrong?"
3. Pick and rank your top 5. Tap them in order of importance. Then write what each looks like on a normal day, such as "Eat one meal together without screens" for family.

That last step matters most. A value you can act on today turns into a small habit; a value that stays a word stays on the fridge. For examples of personal, work and company values and more ways to test your picks, read the core values list guide.

What are core values?

Core values are the few principles you most want your choices to reflect, such as honesty, family, health or freedom. Psychologists describe values as broad life goals that people rank differently; one widely used model groups them into ten types, from security and tradition to self-direction and benevolence (Schwartz, 2012). Values are different from goals: you never finish "kindness", but you can act on it today.

The full list of 200 values

Every value in the finder, grouped, with a short meaning. Print it with Print the full list above to do the exercise on paper.

From values to daily habits

Pick your top value and one action that shows it, then tie the action to something you already do: "After I get home, I put my phone in the drawer for dinner" (family), or "After lunch, I walk for 10 minutes" (health). Track it with the 30-day habit tracker, turn a bigger aim into a SMART goal, or find words for your year with the vision board words list.

Frequently asked questions

What is a core values exercise?

A short sorting exercise: you go through a long list of values, keep the ones that feel true, and narrow them down until only the most important few are left. This finder does it in three steps (keep, narrow to 10, pick 5) and then asks what each value looks like on an ordinary day.

How many core values should I have?

Most exercises end with three to five. Five is enough to cover different parts of life and still few enough to remember. The other values you kept still matter; they are just not the ones you would pick first when two of them clash.

What are examples of core values?

Personal values include family, honesty, health, curiosity, faith, freedom and kindness. Common work values are accountability, teamwork, growth and craftsmanship. Companies often name integrity, customer focus, innovation and respect. The full list on this page has 200 values in 12 groups.

Can my core values change?

Yes. Priorities shift with life stages, such as a new job, a child or an illness. Many people redo the exercise once a year or after a big change. Your picks stay saved in this browser, so you can compare.

Can I print my values or the full list?

Yes. Print my values gives a one-page sheet with your top 5, what each looks like on a normal day and the rest of your top 10, in classic, bold or soft designs. Print the full list gives all 200 values grouped on one page with a box to tick by hand.

Where are my picks saved?

Only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to our server and there is no sign-up or email gate. Save as image keeps a copy on your phone.

Sources and evidence

1. Schwartz (2012): An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values — Describes ten broad personal values (such as benevolence, security and self-direction) found in surveys across many countries, and how people rank them differently.
2. Hayes et al. (2006): Acceptance and commitment therapy: model, processes and outcomes — Values, understood as chosen life directions, are one of six core processes in acceptance and commitment therapy, together with committed action on them.
3. Cohen and Sherman (2014): The psychology of change: self-affirmation and social psychological intervention — Reviews studies in which brief writing about a personally important value lowered defensiveness under threat; effects depend on timing and context and are not universal.
4. Epton et al. (2015): The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: a meta-analysis — Across 144 experimental tests, self-affirmation (often writing about an important value) had a small positive effect on later health behavior (d = .32).