"When your values are clear, your choices are easy."
     - Paraphrased from Roy E. Disney
"You don’t set core values; you discover your core values."
- Jim Collins     

Step 1:
Brainstorm

If you're doing this on your own:
Decide which of the values in the list below are really core to who you are as a person.

​​Find some people who know you well from different parts of your life (colleagues, friends, family, etc.), and ask them to do the same as if they were you! See what they have in common with your list, and what's different. You might find a core value (or more) that's similar across each of the areas of your life, or one that you didn't think of.
If you're doing this as part of a team:
Make sure you have the right people completing this exercise! If your team has leaders, be sure to use them. 

Each person involved should take some time to come up with their personal core values to which they are committed. Each person should have three to four, no more than five or six. However, do NOT just add core values to get to that number. If you only have two, that's okay!

From James Clear

  • Authenticity
  • Achievement
  • Adventure
  • Authority
  • Autonomy
  • Balance
  • Beauty
  • Boldness
  • Compassion
  • Challenge
  • Citizenship
  • Community
  • Competency
  • Contribution
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Determination
  • Fairness
  • Faith
  • Fame
  • Friendships
  • Fun
  • Growth
  • Happiness
  • Honesty
  • Humor
  • Influence
  • Inner Harmony
  • Justice
  • Kindness
  • Knowledge
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Love
  • Loyalty
  • Meaningful Work
  • Openness
  • Optimism
  • Peace
  • Pleasure
  • Poise
  • Popularity
  • Recognition
  • Religion
  • Reputation
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Security
  • Self-Respect
  • Service
  • Spirituality
  • Stability
  • Success
  • Status
  • Trustworthiness
  • Wealth
  • Wisdom

Inspired by the list from SaturdayGift.com

Achievement & Accomplishment
  • Abundance
  • Accomplishment
  • Achievement
  • Challenge
  • Credibility
  • Determination
  • Endurance
  • Fame
  • Growth
  • Mastery
  • Power
  • Prosperity
  • Recognition
  • Self-actualization
  • Status
  • Success
  • Wealth
  • Winning​
Order & Stability
  • Accuracy
  • Careful
  • Certainty
  • Cleanliness
  • Consistency
  • Control
  • Justice
  • Lawful
  • Obedience
  • Order
  • Organization
  • Security
  • Stability
  • Structure
  • Thorough
  • Timeliness
  • Traditional
Togetherness & Unity
  • Affection
  • Caring
  • Charity
  • Communication
  • Community
  • Contribution
  • Cooperation
  • Diversity
  • Equality
  • Family
  • Fidelity
  • Friendship
  • Generosity
  • Giving
  • Loyalty
  • Patriotism
  • Reliable
  • Selfless
  • Service
  • Sharing
  • Stewardship
  • Support
  • Sustainability
  • Teamwork
  • Unity
  • Welcoming
Independence & Freedom
  • Freedom
  • Independence
  • Individuality
  • Self-Sufficiency
Presence & Mindfulness
  • Alertness
  • Attentive
  • Awareness
  • Balance
  • Beauty
  • Calmness
  • Clear
  • Focus
  • Silence
  • Simplicity
  • Steadfastness
  • Solitude
  • Tranquility
Spirituality & Harmony
  • Capable
  • Competence
  • Efficiency
  • Excellence
  • Experience
  • Hard Work
  • Leadership
  • Motivation
  • Productivity
  • Professionalism
  • Quality
  • Results-oriented
  • Self-development
  • Skillfulness
  • Speed
Creativity & Curiosity
  • Adventure
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Exploration
  • Imagination
  • Innovation
  • Intuitive
  • Openness
  • Originality
  • Progress
  • Uniqueness
Knowledge & Intelligence
  • Brilliance
  • Clever
  • Decisiveness
  • Expertise
  • Foresight
  • ​Insightful
  • Intelligence
  • Knowledge
  • Learning
  • Logic
  • Vision
  • Wisdom
Health & Energy
  • Energy
  • Fitness
  • Health
  • Vitality
Enthusiasm & Enjoyment
  • Enjoyment
  • Enthusiasm
  • Excitement
  • Fun
  • Humor
  • Playfulness
  • Surprise
Feelings & Mindset
  • Acceptance
  • Comfort
  • Compassion
  • Contentment
  • Empathy
  • Grace
  • Gratitude
  • Happiness
  • Inspiring
  • Joy
  • Kindness
  • Love
  • Optimism
  • Passion
  • Poise
  • Positivity
  • Respect
  • Sensitivity
  • Serenity
  • Thankful
  • Thoughtful
Skillfulness & Competence
  • Capable
  • Competence
  • Efficiency
  • Excellence
  • Experience
  • Hard Work
  • Leadership
  • Motivation
  • Productivity
  • Professionalism
  • Quality
  • Results-oriented
  • Self-development
  • Skillfulness
  • Speed
Strength & Courage
  • Capable
  • Competence
  • Efficiency
  • Excellence
  • Experience
  • Hard Work
  • Leadership
  • Motivation
  • Productivity
  • Professionalism
  • Quality
  • Results-oriented
  • Self-development
  • Skillfulness
  • Speed
Integrity & Principle
  • Accountability
  • Authenticity
  • Commitment
  • Dependability
  • Dignity
  • Duty
  • Ethical
  • Fairness
  • Honesty
  • Honor
  • Integrity
  • Responsibility
  • Self-respect
  • Sincerity
  • Transparency
  • Trustworthy

Step 2:
Test

If you're doing this on your own:
Go through all of the core values you've listed and determine a final list of three to five values.

​Ask yourself the following questions for EACH of the core values you chose!
  1. ​If tomorrow you were going to lose all of your personality and character, would you keep this core value?
  2. Would you want to keep this core value for the rest of your life? [Will it be as relevant at age 100 as it is now?]
  3. If upholding this core value would lead to financial difficulties or other negative consequences, would you still keep it?
  4. Would you change jobs before giving up this core value?
  5. Would you work with people who did not share this core value?
  6. If you went through a dramatic life change for the better (e.g. winning the lottery), would you still live by this core value?
  7. If you went through a dramatic life change for the worse (e.g. debilitating illness), would you still live by this core value?
If you're doing this as part of a team:
​Follow Jim Collins' Core Values Breakout Session, "Each person read to the group his or her list of core values. Based on these readings, determine the three to five values shared as most core to your breakout group."

​"Each individual take five to ten minutes of solo time to test EACH of the three to five values against the following test questions.​
  1. If you were to start a new organization, would you build it around this core value regardless of the industry?
  2. Would you want your organization to continue to stand for this core value 100 years into the future, no matter what changes occur in the outside world?
  3. Would you want your organization to hold this core value, even if at some point in time it became a competitive disadvantage—even if in some instances the environment/competition penalized the organization for living this core value?
  4. Do you believe that those who do not share this core value—those who breach it consistently—simply do not belong in your organization?
  5. Would you personally continue to hold this core value even if you were not rewarded for holding it?
  6. Would you change jobs before giving up this core value?
  7. If you awoke tomorrow with more than enough money to retire comfortably for the rest of your life, would you continue to apply this core value to your productive activities?"

Step 3:
Check

If you're doing this on your own:
ONLY select the values deemed to be truly authentic core values - values for which you answered "yes" to all of the questions in Step 2.

Check that the core values you've selected are authentic core values you have NOW, and NOT ones you hope to have in the future.
If you're doing this as part of a team:
Follow Jim Collins' Core Values Breakout Session, "Each member of the group list for the group the core values to which they answered “Yes” to all of the questions."
​
"Select the values deemed by your group to be truly authentic core values. As a general guideline: a value is truly “core” to your group if two-thirds of your group members answered “Yes” to all of the test questions for that core value."

Then, check that the core values you've selected are authentic core values you have NOW, and NOT ones you hope to have in the future.

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