Values Clarification Worksheet
Get clear on what you most deeply care about, see where your daily life lines up with it, and choose one action that moves you closer.
About this tool
Values are the qualities you want to bring to your life: how you want to treat people, what kind of work feels meaningful, who you want to be. Unlike goals, which can be finished and crossed off, values are ongoing directions. You never complete being a caring friend or a curious learner, you just keep choosing it. Getting clear on your values gives you a compass for decisions, especially the hard ones.
This worksheet draws on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), where values work is central. Research shows that acting in line with personal values is linked to greater wellbeing and a stronger sense of meaning, and that values can pull us toward difficult but worthwhile action even when motivation is low. When you know what matters, a hard choice becomes clearer: which option moves you toward the person you want to be.
Many people find a gap between the values they hold and the life they are actually living. That gap is not a failure, it is information. Noticing it is the first step to closing it. The worksheet ends by asking you to pick one small, concrete action that expresses a value you care about, because values come alive through what you do, not just what you believe.
- Hayes SC, Strosahl KD, Wilson KG. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2011.
- Wilson KG, Sandoz EK, Kitchens J, Roberts M. The Valued Living Questionnaire. Psychol Rec. 2010;60(2):249-272.
Values Clarification Worksheet FAQ
What is the difference between a value and a goal?
A goal can be completed and crossed off, like running a 5k. A value is an ongoing direction, like caring for your health, that you keep choosing over time. Goals are steps; values are the compass that points where the steps should go.
Why does clarifying values help?
Knowing what matters most gives you a steady reference point for decisions and motivation, especially when things are hard. Research links values-consistent action to greater wellbeing and a stronger sense of meaning.
Is my information saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser. Your entries are never uploaded or stored, and the PDF is generated on your own device.
What if I am not sure what my values are?
That is common and completely fine. Use the life-area prompts and the values list to explore. Values often become clearer through reflection and small experiments, not in a single sitting.