Unearthing Your Core Values - The Compass Within
Journaling Prompts to Identify Your Core Values
By gaining clarity on our values, we equip ourselves to navigate life's complexities and make decisions that resonate with our truest selves.
Beneath the surface of our daily routines and obligations lie the fundamental principles that truly guide us – our core values. These values are the compass that points us towards a life of authenticity and purpose. Often, it's not until one of these core values is violated that we truly recognize its significance. We might feel a persistent sense of unease, a feeling that something is "off," without being able to pinpoint why. More often than not, this discomfort arises from living or acting in a way that contradicts what we deeply believe to be important. When we lose touch with our values, we can feel a sense of drift, confusion, and even resentment.
This series of journal prompts is designed to help you excavate these deeply held values, to bring them into the light so they can inform your choices and shape a life that truly resonates with who you are at your core.
To begin our journey of unearthing your core values, we'll draw inspiration from the work of Brené Brown, who emphasizes the impact of understanding our fundamental guiding principles. She provides a comprehensive list of values that can serve as an excellent starting point for our exploration and would highly recommend any of her books. As you read through the list below, notice which words immediately spark a feeling within you, which ones resonate as deeply true to who you are at your core.
(You can download your own list here: Brene Brown Value List)
For the purpose of this series, I encourage you to identify a few (perhaps 3-5) values that feel absolutely fundamental to you right now. These will be our anchors as we delve deeper with the journal prompts.
Journal Prompt #1: Moments of Deep Resonance Across Arenas
Take some time to journey back to memories where you felt a profound sense of "yes" inside, where you felt most aligned with who you are. Consider these areas:
Work/Career: When have you felt most fulfilled and engaged in your work? What values were being expressed?
Family: When have you felt most connected to your family? What values underpin those strong relationships?
Friends: When have you felt most authentic and supported in your friendships? What values are present?
Personal Life/Hobbies: When have you felt a deep sense of joy or flow? What values were you honoring?
Choose one specific memory from any of these categories and describe it in detail in your journal. Consider these questions as you write:
What were the key elements of that situation?
How were you behaving?
What was important to you in that moment?
What feelings arose within you?
What underlying principle or value do you think was being honored?
How does this value show up in other areas of your life?
Don't censor yourself, simply allow your memories and feelings to guide your pen. The goal here is to connect those moments with the core values that underpinned them.
Journal Prompt #2: "Line in the Sand" Across Relationships
Think about specific instances where you felt deeply offended, frustrated, or morally opposed to something that happened, focusing on your interactions with others. Consider these areas:
Work/Career: What actions or behaviors from colleagues, superiors, or clients felt like a violation of your values? What value was being disregarded?
Family: What actions or dynamics within your family have caused you the most pain or conflict? What value felt violated?
Friends: What behaviors from friends have felt like a betrayal or a disregard for what's important to you? What value was compromised?
Choose one specific instance and describe it in detail in your journal. Consider these questions as you write:
What happened?
Who was involved?
What specific action or behavior felt so wrong to you?
What core value do you think was being disregarded?
How does this value inform your boundaries in other areas of your life?
Journal Prompt #3: The Wisdom of Your Body in Different Contexts
Pay attention to your body's signals in different areas of your life. When do you feel a sense of ease and rightness, and when do you feel discomfort or tension?
Work/Career: When do you feel energized and aligned in your work, and when do you feel drained or stressed? What values are being honored or ignored in each situation?
Family: When do you feel a sense of peace and connection with your family, and when do you feel tension or conflict? What values are at play in these different dynamics?
Friends: When do you feel most authentically yourself around your friends, and when do you feel like you're holding back? What values are being supported or compromised in these interactions?
Choose one example of either discomfort or ease from any of these areas and describe the situation and your physical sensations in your journal. Consider:
What was the situation?
What physical sensations did you notice?
What might your body be telling you about your underlying values in that context?
Journal Prompt #4: Envisioning Alignment Across Your Life
Imagine a future scenario where you are living in complete alignment with your core values in all areas of your life.
Describe a challenging situation you might face in the future that involves work, family, and friends. How would you navigate this situation if you were acting completely in accordance with your top 2-3 core values?
How would living in this aligned way make you feel (emotionally and physically) across all these areas of your life? What might you have to let go of or be vulnerable about in each context?
Take your time with these reflections. If comfortable, feel free to share any overarching insights or key values that emerge for you in the comments below.
What other journal prompts would you recommend?