Personal Values Explained: A Run-Down & 6 Ways to Master Them

Soooooooooo…

Feeling a little lost? Found yourself wondering, “What’s my purpose in life?” “Why don’t I feel fulfilled?” “Why don’t I enjoy my job?” When you can’t figure out your life’s purpose, it’s easy to spiral (we’ve all been there 💅).

But fear not – figuring out your core values is a game-changer.

Ever wondered how some people seem to effortlessly balance their work and personal lives while staying true to themselves? The secret often lies in their core values.

Personal (and professional) values are the principles that guide our decisions and (should) shape our life choices (- and jobs!).

But what exactly are core values, and how can they impact you?

Join us as we explore practical tips for identifying your core values and putting them into action. It’s time to align your work with what truly matters to you and unlock a more fulfilling and purpose-driven career.

Here we go…!

 

What are personal values? 

The run-down (a definition of personal values)

By definition, your personal values are your own set of core beliefs.

Personal values are the core beliefs and principles that define who you are, guiding your choices, actions, and interactions with others. They serve as your internal compass, helping you navigate life’s complexities and stay true to yourself.

You know that sicky feeling you get when something isn’t right, that’s probably your intuition telling you you’re not aligned with… you guessed it, your values.

In an ideal world, we all live by a set of core values or ideas of how we treat others, how we expect to be treated, and what’s important to us in life. This is sometimes easier said than done!

Some examples of personal values

Personal values vary from person to person (if not they wouldn’t be values🙃). They’re individual to you, and they’re yours completely. It’s important to figure them out because when things (such as jobs, relationships, and hobbies) are aligned with our values, it means you make happier choices and more fulfilled!

 

6 ways to master your personal values

1. REFLECT on your past

First, think about past moments in your life. Other than doing the first personal values assessment you come across try just taking a moment to ponder. What do you love doing – what makes your heart sing, from childhood to now? Pay attention to what comes up. What’s made you happy in the past? What activities make you lose track of time – bringing you absolute joy and peace in the moment? What do you enjoy doing in your free time? These questions can offer clues to any underlying values.

This applies to difficult times too. Consider times you felt anger, frustration, or disappointment. What values might have been compromised or neglected during these times? What qualities or aspects of being human or living certain lifestyles made you unhappy? This is the process of figuring out what you don’t want.

2. CONSIDER your passions and interests

What do you tend to fill your spare time with? List hobbies and activities that you enjoy (and even ones you’ve dreamed of doing). Figuring out what underlying things you enjoy doing that make you feel happy and free can help you find your values.

This applies to your professional life, too. Think about what parts of working you enjoy or find meaningful, and which parts cause you frustration and stress. This process will help with uncovering your professional values too, which can help you tune in to a wider perspective. It’s part of the big picture.

3. EXERCISES that focus on values

Here are some easy exercises to help you find your values. Give them a try:

1. Activity 1: Reflection
   1. Recall 2-3 peak experiences in your life when you felt most alive, fulfilled, and proud.
   2. Write down these experiences in detail.
   3. For each experience, identify what made it meaningful and what values we represent.
   4. Circle the values that appear multiple times across your experiences.
   5. Name the feelings associated with your pride and fulfilment
2. Activity 2: Admiration
   1. 1. List 3-5 people you deeply admire (personal acquaintances, historical figures, or public personalities).
      2. For each person, write down the qualities you admire most about them.
      3. Reflect on why these qualities resonate with you.
      4. Translate these admired qualities into value words (e.g., “always helps others” = compassion).
3. Activity 3: Visualise your Future Self
   1. Close your eyes and imagine who/what you would like to emulate in 3-5 years from now.
   2. Visualise how you’re living, what you’re doing, and how you’re interacting with others.
   3. Write down what you see, feel, and experience in this vision.
   4. Identify the underlying values that are driving this ideal future version of yourself.

4. WRITE it down

Creating a core values list or writing a personal statement really helps consolidate your feelings. Sometimes your values are right there, hidden in plain sight. It can feel impossible though when you’re feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and confusion.

When you don’t know how to uncover your core beliefs, writing down how you want to live your life helps get it all out, and can serve as a guiding principle for your decisions and actions.

There’s something quite cathartic in viewing it on paper too. You can play around with it.

5. PERSPECTIVE & feedback

Talk to your inner circle of trusted friends and family for support and advice. These people know you well, so they can talk to you about what they see as your core values based on their observations and interactions with you.

Tools like the VIA Character Strengths, can give insights into your personality or character traits and how they relate to your values. This isn’t an exact science, but it can help give you some direction at the beginning.

6. TEST & REFLECT – constantly

Finding your values is no easy feat. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, these things take time and they evolve!  It’s not like changing a lightbulb, it’s a process of deep self-discovery, and cheesy but true, it’s a journey, – in fact it shouldn’t be rushed!

Like a lot of things in life, it’s important to reflect on your values. This way, you can make sure your actions and decisions stay aligned with your core beliefs and priorities, but more than that it can help you find out what that little niggle is, or the reason something doesn’t feel right deep down.

 

How finding your personal values can help – aka “why are values important?”

1. More clarity and direction for your life and more decisions that align with your core self, leading to a more focused, intentional, and purpose-driven life.
2. Improved and more confident decision-making because your values act as your guide to choosing options that are consistent with what matters most to you.
3. Deeper and more meaningful relationships both personal and professional
4. More fulfilment and motivation for pursuing your goals builds drive.
5. Personal growth ✨

What are professional values?

Unlike personal values, professional values are the core beliefs that guide your behaviour and decisions in your job. They influence how you approach your work, interact with colleagues, and pursue career goals. Understanding your professional values can help ensure that you’re in the right environment or role, and if you’re not, can help you feel more confident about pursuing a career change.

Professional values VS personal values

Usually,  these massively overlap, but there are some differences between professional values and personal values. Really they’re all personal, as work is an enormous part of our lives.

Personal values though, tend to apply to your home life, your life purpose, family and friends.

Honesty	Professionalism
Compassion	Teamwork
Family	Trust
Freedom	Achievement
Creativity	Work-life balance

What are company values? (Some examples)

Most (good) companies will create their core values as a part of their brand. It’s an important step in figuring out what the business is. What does it stand for? What do we care about? What are our core beliefs that affect what we want to achieve?

Companies might have values like:

1. Innovation

Creativity, originality, and forward-thinking to develop new ideas, products, processes, or solutions. Companies with this value work towards being open to change, experimenting with new approaches, and constantly seeking better ways to achieve goals.

2. Mutual respect

Mutual respect as a value within an organisation means fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated. Mutual respect involves listening to others’ viewpoints, acknowledging their contributions, and treating them with courtesy and fairness.

3. Quality

Companies with Quality as a value will prioritise the highest standards in everything they do. It involves paying attention to detail, being thorough, and ensuring that products, services, or work processes are reliable and meet or surpass expectations. This might (sometimes) mean that they’re more interested in output over ethos.

4. Teamwork

Teamwork as a value means prioritising collaboration and collective effort in achieving objectives. It involves open communication, mutual support, and leveraging each team member’s strengths to accomplish shared goals.

5. Sustainability

Leaving a positive impact on the earth by investing in sustainable methods of working. Companies with sustainable values might become (or work towards becoming) a B-Corp, recycling, remote working, and remaining low-emission.

To name a few. It really varies from business to business.

For example, these are The Glass Female’s values:

1. Brilliance
2. Integrity
3. Courage
4. Passion
5. Community
6. Partnership

Learn more about our values here >

Why are company values important?

The core values of a company can help them attract the right clients as well as the right staff. It really works both ways. For example, candidates with “Value A, B, C” will find an employer with “Value A, B, C” and vice versa (if they know their values).

According to a recent survey, 80% of employees think working for a company with values that align with their own is “very important”.

We’ll be beating this drum forever but as we know, replacing a trained employee can cost up to 200% of their annual salary (aka VERY expensive, and not a cost you need to have).

So by taking the simple steps to identify your values as a business not only defines your brand, but it does a big chunk of the leg work when it comes to attracting the right people.

How professional and personal values can affect your work ethic

Remember feeling excited about work?

That feeling where you just can’t wait to get stuck in can come back. Usually, it appears because we’re passionate about doing things that align with our values. When we don’t care about the work at our core, we don’t give a f***.

Round-up

So, after this *pretty comprehensive (if we do say so ourselves) introduction to personal values (core beliefs), you should be able to start thinking about what yours might be.

You’ll definitely find that you feel more confident, prepared, and sure about the next steps in your personal or professional life.

We can help you master your core values 

At The Glass Female, we know that understanding what really matters to you can make all the difference in your career and personal life. Whether it’s focusing on teamwork, aiming for quality, or embracing innovation, your values are key to a more fulfilling work experience.

Curious about how these values can boost your work ethic and help you thrive, inform life changes, and help you feel more fulfilled??

Ready to align your actions with your values and make a meaningful impact? Dive deeper into how these values can transform your work ethic and elevate your career.