Start with the choice, then name the values
Write one decision you can actually influence: whether to take on a project, change a routine, or commit your time. List the options you have today. Next to each, write which values it supports and what it asks you to give up. Your assessment can suggest words for this exercise; you can add a priority that matters in this particular situation.
A higher-ranked value is a clue about your usual priorities. It does not automatically outweigh money, health, responsibilities, or another person’s needs in every decision. Keep those practical constraints on the page too.
A worked example: freedom and a dependable foundation
Alex is considering a new project with more freedom but less predictable hours. Alex’s values results place Self-Direction and Security near the top. Accepting immediately could overlook a need for stability; declining immediately could overlook a desire for choice.
- Option A: keep the current arrangement. It protects predictability but leaves little room to choose an approach.
- Option B: take the new project as offered. It creates freedom but leaves the schedule unclear.
- Option C: ask for a short initial commitment, clear hours, and a review date. It makes room for both priorities.
The exercise has not proved that Option C is available or best. It has produced a useful question Alex can ask before deciding: “Could we agree on the time commitment and review the arrangement after the first phase?”
Try it in ten minutes
- Name the decision in one sentence. Set aside questions you cannot resolve today.
- Choose two or three values relevant to it. Write what honoring each would look like in observable behavior.
- Compare two options against those needs. Separate what you know from what you are assuming.
- Create a third option, or change one condition of an existing option.
- Pick one reversible next step: ask a question, gather a fact, or try a small change. Choose a date to revisit what you learned.
If your values are closely tied
You do not need a decisive top value to use this exercise. Start with the needs of the situation and notice what is hardest to give up. Closely ranked results are a reason to explore the choice, not force a personality label.
For a specific context, try values in a career decision or values in a shared decision.