Value Card Sort - Determine what you really value in life and work!

Description: Value card sorting helps clarify your values in life or at work. Knowing your values allows you to:

• make better decision.
• better understand your gut when it signals "something is off!"
• makes you understand what (de)motivates you.

Having a list of values in front of you helps you tame the complexity and invites you to consider a wide range of possibilities. 

Outcome: Clarity regarding what you value most at life or work.

Instructions: 

1. First, print and cut out the cards. Alternatively, use posits and note one value per post-it. You can get the free PDF by clicking the "I want this!" button below
2. Layout the categories in a horizontal row from "Very Important To Me" to "Not Important To Me." 
3. Start by sorting the cards under the five categories you just laid out. Make sure you keep your area of life e.g. "work" top of mind. Chances are that your values vary depending on the context you are in. Sorting values might feel challenging. Here, don't overthink it. You can always change things around later. 
4. When you are done, take a moment and review your categories. Does something need to change categories? Is something missing? If you find something missing, add your own value to the mix. To do so, use one of the blank cards and note your value and put it in the appropriate position.
5. Try narrowing the "Very Important To Me" category down to five cards. To do so, ask yourself questions like:
   1. Why is this important to me?
   2. When did I last experience this being important to me?
   3. Is this my value or a value that I think I should have because of the expectations of others? 
6. Now it's time to sort your "Very Important To Me" values from the most to the least important. Here are some tips for figuring out what is most important:
   1. Ask yourself: "Would I quit if this value wasn't fulfilled?"
   2. Compare two of your values and try to recall a specific situation in which you had to decide between the two. How did you decide?
   3. Check-in with your gut feel. What resonates? What is good to have but doesn't make you feel excited?
7. Note your results and check back the next day. You might also want to discuss what you found with a friend. You can ask them if they think that this list is authentic to you or if there was something you should add. If they have something you should add, ask them about a specific situation or experience in which that value showed up. This will help you understand what they mean.
8. Tip: Don't get stuck on the words. If a value doesn't quite capture what you mean, cross it out and write your word on the card. This is especially useful if there are better words in your mother tongue or dialect.

Time: 60 min.

Source: I first discovered this tool learning "Motivational Interviewing" which is a clinical coaching technique.