What are values?

Values are not goals you can complete, feelings you want to have, or rules you've been given. They are something more precise: how you want to show up, moment to moment, in the areas of life that matter most to you.

A goal is something you can finish. Get fit. Repair the relationship. Complete the project. Values are the ongoing qualities of action that guide you toward those goals - being active and caring for my body. Being present and loving. Being rigorous and curious. Goals end. Values don't.

Values are also not the same as feelings. Feeling happy or feeling connected are outcomes. The value is what you do - being warm, being honest, showing up consistently - regardless of how you feel in the moment. You can act in line with your values on a hard day just as easily as on a good one.

And values are not fixed. They shift across life stages, roles, and seasons. What mattered most at twenty-five may not be what calls to you now. That isn't inconsistency - it's growth.

The simplest way to find a value: ask yourself how do I want to show up in this area of my life? Not what do I want to have, feel, or achieve - but who do I want to be.

In this tool, each domain represents a different area of your life. The importance rating reflects how much that area calls to you right now. The satisfaction rating reflects how closely your actual behaviour matches the person you want to be there. The gap between the two is where the tension lives - and where the most meaningful work begins.