Most of us already carry some sense of what matters.
 
It appears in the moments that stay with us, the choices we respect, the things we protect and the places where something feels out of step.
 
Finding the words can help—but values work is not about choosing the most impressive labels or creating another standard to live up to.
 
Getting to the Heart of Your Values is a 36-page printable field guide that helps you begin with your lived experience and slowly develop a working language for what matters to you.
 
Rather than asking you to select a few words from a list and declare them permanent, the guide invites you to:
look back at moments that reveal what mattered;
notice recurring qualities, concerns and ways of being;
explore a broad and carefully organized values list;
distinguish values that feel personally chosen from those carrying expectation;
reconsider inherited meanings that no longer fit;
group related values without forcing certainty;
choose a manageable working set of three to five values;
give each value a personal and practical meaning;
recognize what a value does—and does not—ask of you;
work with tension when two values matter;
notice what happens to your values under pressure;
approach misalignment as information rather than failure;
and identify a small way of returning to what matters.
 
The guide is supportive enough to complete on your own while leaving room for unfinished answers, uncertainty and change.
 
There is nothing here to get perfectly right.
 
What is included
One 36-page PDF field guide
US Letter format: 8.5 × 11 inches
Guided reflection and writing pages
Three-page values reference list
Five individual pages for exploring your chosen values
Pages for values tension, pressure, alignment and return
Immediate digital access after purchase
 
How to use it
The guide is designed to be printed and completed by hand.
 
It may also be imported into a PDF annotation app such as Goodnotes or Notability and written on with a stylus.
 
This is a printable PDF rather than a typeable or fillable form.
 
This guide may be useful when you are
trying to make sense of an important decision;
feeling disconnected from what matters;
moving through a transition;
reconsidering expectations you have carried;
noticing tension between different parts of your life;
or simply wanting a clearer and more personal relationship with your values.
 
A note about the approach
 
This is not a personality test, motivational workbook or set of rules for becoming a better version of yourself.
 
It is a field guide for slowing down, noticing what has been present and finding language you can continue to live with.
 
Format and use
Digital download only. No physical product will be shipped.
For individual, personal use. The PDF may not be resold, redistributed, shared publicly or reproduced for commercial use.