What is a personal core value?

First, a quick alignment on how we can understand values.

Personal values point the direction for how we want to live. But the values themselves are not the destination. Values can expressed in one or two words, while more detailed ideas instead may reflect a goal. In contrast to values, goals are something you can finish and check off a list (run a 5k, ship that project). But a value is a way you want to continue showing up, whether or not anything gets finished.

Values are also not something you can fail at. You can move toward them or away from them. But they’re never a finish line you might miss. In the same way you can perpetually “head east,” you never really arrive at a value; you only be traveling towards it.

To that point, the definitions below are written as directions (starting with “to …”) so that each can be read as a way of livi9ng as opposed to a box to check.

The 50+ values

This list is split into eight areas of life. Where a value is grouped is where you may be most likely to notice it, but is not necessarily the only place it could apply.

Personal Growth

How you learn, stretch, and relate to your own experience.

  • Acceptance — To be open to myself, others, and life as they are.
  • Authenticity — To be genuine and true to who I am.
  • Autonomy — To make my own choices and steer my own life.
  • Self-awareness — To notice my thoughts, feelings, choices, and patterns.
  • Self-control — To act in line with my values and ideals.
  • Open-mindedness — To consider other perspectives and weigh evidence fairly.
  • Curiosity — To explore, ask questions, and stay interested in learning.
  • Courage — To act bravely and persist in the face of fear or difficulty.
  • Resilience — To recover, adapt, and continue through setbacks.
  • Flexibility — To adjust thoughtfully when circumstances change.
  • Challenge — To stretch myself so I can grow, learn, and improve.
  • Wisdom — To apply good judgment from reflection, learning, and experience.
  • Patience — To wait calmly and respond thoughtfully when things take time.
  • Responsibility — To be accountable for my commitments and actions.

Leisure

How you play, rest your mind, and enjoy being alive.

  • Adventure — To seek, create, or explore novel and stimulating experiences.
  • Fun — To seek, create, and enjoy playful, lighthearted experiences.
  • Pleasure — To create and enjoy experiences that feel good.
  • Humor — To notice and appreciate the funny side of life.
  • Creativity — To make and express things in ways that are my own.
  • Beauty — To appreciate, create, and care for beauty around me.

Spirituality

How you connect with meaning and what’s larger than yourself.

  • Mindfulness — To be present, open, and aware of my here-and-now experience.
  • Gratitude — To appreciate the good in myself, others, and life.
  • Purpose — To connect my actions to meaning and what matters most.
  • Wonder — To stay open to awe, mystery, and what is bigger than me.
  • Spirituality — To connect with something larger than myself.

Health

How you care for your body and mind so you can keep going.

  • Fitness — To care for my physical and mental health and wellbeing.
  • Rest — To make space for sleep, recovery, and renewal.
  • Simplicity — To keep life uncluttered and give my attention to what matters.
  • Nourishment — To sustain myself with food, care, and what helps me thrive.
  • Self-care — To look after my wellbeing and make sure my needs are met.
  • Safety — To protect the wellbeing and security of myself and others.

Work

How you want to show up in the work you do.

  • Excellence — To pursue high standards and do work I can stand behind.
  • Craftsmanship — To practice my skills carefully and take pride in the work.
  • Impact — To make a meaningful difference through what I do.
  • Leadership — To guide, organize, and positively influence others.

Community & Environment

How you contribute to the wider world you’re part of.

  • Justice — To uphold what is right, fair, and humane.
  • Equality — To treat others as equal to myself, and myself as equal to others.
  • Service — To help, contribute, and make a positive difference.
  • Compassion — To act with kindness toward those who are suffering.
  • Citizenship — To participate responsibly in the communities I belong to.
  • Sustainability — To care for the environment and use shared resources responsibly.

Family

How you care for the people closest to home.

  • Presence — To show up reliably and be emotionally available for my family.
  • Support — To help, encourage, and be available to family members.
  • Tradition — To honor meaningful rituals, heritage, and continuity.
  • Forgiveness — To release resentment and make room for repair.
  • Nurturing — To care for growth, safety, and wellbeing in my family.

Relationships

How you connect with the people around you.

  • Connection — To be fully present and engaged with others.
  • Intimacy — To open up and share myself in close relationships.
  • Love — To act lovingly and affectionately toward myself and others.
  • Loyalty — To be faithful, reliable, and steadfast in my relationships.
  • Honesty — To be truthful and sincere with myself and others.
  • Respect — To show consideration, positive regard, and care for boundaries.
  • Kindness — To be warm, considerate, and caring toward myself and others.
  • Generosity — To share freely and give to myself and others.
  • Encouragement — To support and reinforce behavior I value in myself and others.

What about values that are not on this list?
This is by no means a comprehensive list on all possible personal values, but can hopefully act as a helpful starting point as you think about your own. If there’s a word that you find fits better than one you can find here, use it!

From values to how they show up

Once you identify your values, an interesting next step is to then notice whether your days actually reflect them—whether the things you spend attention on line up with the things you say matter.

That’s what we’re building with APPA. You pick a few things worth doing today, connect each one to a value behind it, and take a couple minutes at the end of the day to reflect on how it all went. Over time you can see if your days are pointed where you want them and uncover patterns in that’s made you feel.

Learn more at theappa.app.