List of Core Values for Your Values Hierarchy
The following is a list of five hundred personal values, in alphabetical order, to help you create your values hierarchy.1 This list is by no means exhaustive, and I encourage you to Google phrases like “core values” and “common adjectives” to ensure you get the ones that feel right to you. The idea is to narrow this list down to twenty or thirty, and then to six to ten final values. Then put them in order from most important to least important, thinking critically about when you might put one value over another. Of course, some situations might disrupt your hierarchy, but at least it will be there to guide you and help you understand why you might be feeling a certain way or why you might be inclined to take a certain action.
Above and beyond
Acceptance
Accessibility
Accomplishment
Accountability
Accuracy
Accurate
Achievement
Activity
Adaptability
Adventure
Adventurous
Affection
Affective
Aggressive
Aggressiveness
Agility
Alert
Alertness
Altruism
Ambition
Amusement
Anti-bureaucratic
Anticipate
Anticipation
Anti-corporate
Appreciation
Approachability
Approachable
Assertive
Assertiveness
Attention to detail
Attentive
Attentiveness
Availability
Available
Awareness
Balance
Beauty
Being the best
Belonging
Best
Best people
Bold
Boldness
Bravery
Brilliance
Brilliant
Calm
Calmness
Candor
Capability
Capable
Careful
Carefulness
Caring
Certainty
Challenge
Change
Character
Charity
Cheerful
Citizenship
Clean
Cleanliness
Clear
Clear-minded
Clever
Clients
Collaboration
Comfort
Commitment
Common sense
Communication
Community
Compassion
Competence
Competency
Competition
Competitive
Completion
Composure
Comprehensive
Concentration
Concern for others
Confidence
Confidential
Confidentiality
Conformity
Connection
Consciousness
Consistency
Content
Contentment
Continuity
Continuous improvement
Contribution
Control
Conviction
Cooperation
Coordination
Cordiality
Correct
Courage
Courtesy
Craftiness
Craftsmanship
Creation
Creative
Creativity
Credibility
Cunning
Curiosity
Customer focus
Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Customers
Daring
Decency
Decisive
Decisiveness
Dedication
Delight
Democratic
Dependability
Depth
Determination
Determined
Development
Devotion
Devout
Different
Differentiation
Dignity
Diligence
Direct
Directness
Discipline
Discovery
Discretion
Diversity
Dominance
Down-to-earth
Dreaming
Drive
Duty
Eagerness
Ease of use
Economy
Education
Effective
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Efficient
Elegance
Empathy
Employees
Empower
Empowering
Encouragement
Endurance
Energy
Engagement
Enjoyment
Entertainment
Enthusiasm
Entrepreneurship
Environment
Equality
Equitable
Ethical
Exceed expectations
Excellence
Excitement
Exciting
Exhilarating
Exuberance
Experience
Expertise
Exploration
Explore
Expressive
Extrovert
Fairness
Faith
Faithfulness
Family
Family atmosphere
Famous
Fashion
Fast
Fearless
Ferocious
Fidelity
Fierce
Firm
Fitness
Flair
Flexibility
Flexible
Fluency
Focus
Focus on future
Foresight
Formal
Fortitude
Freedom
Fresh
Fresh ideas
Friendly
Friendship
Frugality
Fun
Generosity
Genius
Giving
Global
Goodness
Goodwill
Gratitude
Great
Greatness
Growth
Guidance
Happiness
Hard work
Harmony
Health
Heart
Helpful
Heroism
History
Holiness
Honesty
Honor
Hope
Hopeful
Hospitality
Humble
Humility
Humor
Hygiene
Imagination
Impact
Impartial
Impious
Improvement
Independence
Individuality
Industry
Informal
Innovation
Innovative
Inquisitive
Insight
Insightful
Inspiration
Integrity
Intelligence
Intensity
International
Intuition
Intuitive
Invention
Investing
Investment
Inviting
Irreverence
Irreverent
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Legal
Levelheaded
Liberty
Listening
Lively
Local
Logic
Longevity
Love
Loyalty
Mastery
Maturity
Maximizing
Maximum utilization
Meaning
Meekness
Mellow
Members
Merit
Meritocracy
Meticulous
Mindful
Moderation
Modesty
Motivation
Mystery
Neatness
Nerve
No bureaucracy
Obedience
Open
Open-minded
Openness
Optimism
Order
Organization
Original
Originality
Outrageous
Partnership
Passion
Patience
Patient-centered
Patient-focused
Patients
Patient satisfaction
Patriotism
Peace
People
Perception
Perceptive
Perfection
Performance
Perseverance
Persistence
Personal development
Personal growth
Persuasive
Philanthropy
Play
Playfulness
Pleasantness
Poise
Polish
Popularity
Positive
Potency
Potential
Power
Powerful
Practical
Pragmatic
Precise
Precision
Prepared
Preservation
Pride
Privacy
Proactive
Proactively
Productivity
Profane
Professionalism
Profitability
Profits
Progress
Prosperity
Prudence
Punctuality
Purity
Pursue
Pursuit
Quality
Quality of work
Rational
Real
Realistic
Reason
Recognition
Recreation
Refined
Reflection
Relationships
Relaxation
Reliability
Reliable
Resilience
Resolute
Resolution
Resolve
Resourceful
Resourcefulness
Respect
Respect for others
Respect for the individual
Responsibility
Responsiveness
Rest
Restraint
Results
Results-oriented
Reverence
Rigor
Risk
Risk-taking
Rule of law
Sacrifice
Safety
Sanitary
Satisfaction
Security
Self-awareness
Self-control
Self-directed
Selfless
Self motivation
Self-reliance
Self responsibility
Sense of humor
Sensitivity
Serenity
Serious
Service
Shared prosperity
Sharing
Shrewd
Significance
Silence
Silliness
Simplicity
Sincerity
Skill
Skillfulness
Smart
Solitude
Speed
Spirit
Spirituality
Spontaneous
Stability
Standardization
Status
Stealth
Stewardship
Strength
Structure
Succeed
Success
Support
Surprise
Sustainability
Sympathy
Synergy
Systemization
Talent
Teamwork
Temperance
Thankful
Thorough
Thoughtful
Timeliness
Timely
Tolerance
Tough
Toughness
Traditional
Training
Tranquility
Transparency
Trust
Trustworthy
Truth
Understanding
Unflappable
Unique
Uniqueness
Unity
Universal
Useful
Utility
Valor
Value
Value creation
Variety
Victorious
Victory
Vigor
Virtue
Vision
Vital
Vitality
Warmth
Watchful
Watchfulness
Wealth
Welcoming
Willfulness
Winning
Wisdom
Wonder
Worldwide
Work/Life balance