Identifying your values will be pivotal to finding your way to happiness and your path to wealth building that is meaningful to you. If you find out what drives you, how much you want it and how money can get you to where you want to go, you will be unstoppable.

I used to give “A Man is Not A Plan” financial workshops to standing room only crowds. The women were given a list like the one below. When I asked what was important to them about money, the room would be so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Pretty soon the stories flowed. Some had values that were similar like peace of mind, security and freedom, but it was surprising how many were different. And freedom for one looked very different to another.

Your unique core values guide your decisions and actions. Connecting your values to what you love is important in creating your life and making daily decisions to align your finances with your envisioned life.

Discovering your values can be transformational and help you through the rocky parts to stay the course. For example, you run across an adorable dress on sale. But your top value is travel and you are saving to go to Spain. Knowing travel is a value higher than having yet another cute dress in your closet, you have a better chance of staying on track with saving.

If you are part of a couple, doing the values work together will help with communication about your goals and strategies. If you are living from paycheck to paycheck, then your values may not be aligned. Having the biggest stash of cash is NOT the goal. It’s living a life that is satisfying to you.

Below is a list of values that will help get you started. If you want to go online, you will find many more. Relax. Take a deep breath. Try to narrow your values down to a top five.

It doesn’t hurt to do this periodically, depending on your life experiences, your values can change.

CAREER ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIP INTERNAL
Financial

Energy

Integrity

Ambition

Excellence

Order

Accuracy

Justice

Timeliness

Achievement

Accomplishment

Drive

Meaningful

Fulfilled

Contribution

Stability

Teamwork

Empowered

Influential

Creative

Rewarding

Collaborative

Cooperative

Purposeful

Ethical

Challenging

Famous

Comfortable

Travel

Beauty

Humor

Tranquility

Healthy

Energy

Awareness

Music

Calm

Healthy

Adventure

Recreation

Clean

Chemical Free

Aesthetic

Ecology

Urban

Natural

Country

Climate

Positive

Community

Fragrant

Organize

Movement

Authentic

Connection

Dependable

Honest

Respectful

Affection

Creative

Tranquil

Healthy

Cooperative

Courteous

Respectful

Sharing

Fun

Inspiring

Loving

Passionate

Kind

Giving

Service

Touching

Trust

Loyal

Understanding

Family

Confidence

Spiritual

Compassion

Intuitive

Simplicity

Curiosity

Clarity

Adventure

Greatness

Freedom

Independence

Status

Humor

Awareness

Spontaneous

Intelligence

Insightful

Learning

Fearless

Teaching

Harmony

Joyful

Happy

Empowered

Patient

Enthusiasm

Serene