VALUES WORKSHEET (Adapted from Kelly Wilson’s Valued Living Questionnaire)

Deep down inside, what is important to you? What do you want your life to stand for? What sort of qualities do you
want to cultivate as a person? How do you want to be in your relationships with others? Values are our heart's deepest
desires for the way we want to interact with and relate to the world, other people, and ourselves. They are leading
principles that can guide us and motivate us as we move through life.

Values are not the same as goals. Values are directions we keep moving in, whereas goals are what we want to achieve
along the way. A value is like heading North; a goal is like the river or mountain or valley we aim to cross whilst
traveling in that direction. Goals can be achieved or ‘crossed off’, whereas values are an ongoing process. For example, if
you want to be a loving, caring, supportive partner, that is a value – an ongoing process. If you stop being loving, caring
and supportive, then you are no longer a loving, caring, supportive partner; you are no longer living by that value. In
contrast, if you want to get married, that’s a goal - it can be ‘crossed off’ or achieved. Once you’re married, you’re
married – even if you start treating your partner very badly. If you want a better job, that’s a goal. Once you’ve got it -
goal achieved. But if you want to fully apply yourself at work, that’s a value – an ongoing process.

The following are areas of life that are valued by some people. Not everyone has the same values, and this is not a test to
see whether you have the "correct" values. Think about each area in terms of general life directions, rather than in terms
of specific goals. There may be certain areas that you don’t value much; you may skip them if you wish. There may be
areas that overlap – e.g. if you value hiking in the mountains, that may come under both physical health and recreation. It
is also important that you write down what you would value if there were nothing in your way. What’s important? What
do you care about? And what you would like to work towards?

1. Family relations. What sort of brother/sister, son/daughter, uncle/auntie do you want to be? What personal qualities
would you like to bring to those relationships? What sort of relationships would you like to build? How would you
interact with others if you were the ideal you in these relationships?

2. Marriage/couples/intimate relations. What sort of partner would you like to be in an intimate relationship? What
personal qualities would you like to develop? What sort of relationship would you like to build? How would you
interact with your partner if you were the ‘ideal you’ in this relationship?

3. Parenting. What sort of parent would you like to be? What sort of qualities would you like to have? What sort of
relationships would you like to build with your children? How would you behave if you were the ‘ideal you’.

4. Friendships/social life. What sort of qualities would you like to bring to your friendships? If you could be the best
friend possible, how would you behave towards your friends? What sort of friendships would you like to build?

5. Career/employment. What do you value in your work? What would make it more meaningful? What kind of worker
would you like to be? If you were living up to your own ideal standards, what personal qualities would you like to
bring to your work? What sort of work relations would you like to build?

6. Education/personal growth and development. What do you value about learning, education, training, or personal
growth? What new skills would you like to learn? What knowledge would you like to gain? What further
education appeals to you? What sort of student would you like to be? What personal qualities would you like to
apply?

7. Recreation/fun/leisure. What sorts of hobbies, sports, or leisure activities do you enjoy? How do you relax and
unwind? How do you have fun? What sorts of activities would you like to do?

8. Spirituality. Whatever spirituality means to you is fine. It may be as simple as communing with nature, or as formal as
participation in an organised religious group. What is important t to you in this area of life?

9. Citizenship/ environment/ community life. How would you like to contribute to your community or environment, e.g.
through volunteering, or recycling, or supporting a group/ charity/ political party? What sort of environments
would you like to create at home, and at work? What environments would you like to spend more time in?

10. Health/physical well-being. What are your values related to maintaining your physical well-being? How do you want
to look after your health, with regard to sleep, diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol, etc? Why is this important?

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© Russ Harris 2008 www.thehappinesstrap.com
Values Assessment Rating Form

Read through the accompanying values sheet. For each of the ten domains, write a few words to summarise your valued
direction, Eg ‘To be a loving, supportive, caring, partner.’ Rate how important this value is to you on a scale of 0 (low
importance) to 10 (high importance). It’s okay to have several values scoring the same number. Rate how successfully you
have lived this value during the past month on a scale of 0 (not at all successfully) to 10 (very successfully). Finally rank
these valued directions in order of the importance you place on working on them right now, with 10 as the highest rank, and 9
the next highest, and so on.

Domain Valued direction Importance Success Rank

(Write a brief summary, in
one or two sentences, or a
few key words.)
Couples/ intimate
relationships

Parenting

Family relations

Social relations

Employment

Education and training

Recreation

Spirituality

Citizenship/ community

Health/ Physical well-

being`

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© Russ Harris 2008 www.thehappinesstrap.com
CLARIFYING YOUR VALUES (Adapted From Tobias Lundgren’s Bull’s Eye Worksheet)

Deep down inside, what is important to you? What do you want your life to stand for? What sort of qualities do you want to
cultivate as a person? How do you want to be in your relationships with others? Values are our heart's deepest desires for the way
we want to interact with and relate to the world, other people, and ourselves. They are leading principles that can guide us and
motivate us as we move through life. Values reflect what you want to do, and how you want to do it. They are about how you want
to behave towards your friends, your family, yourself, your environment, your work, etc.

Values are not the same as goals. Values involve ongoing action; they are like directions we keep moving in, whereas goals
are what we want to achieve along the way. A value is like heading West; a goal is like the river or mountain or valley we
aim to cross whilst traveling in that direction. Goals can be achieved or ‘crossed off’, whereas values are ongoing. (No
matter how far West you go, you never reach it!) For example, if you want to be a loving, caring, supportive partner, that is
a value: it involves ongoing action. In contrast, if you want to get married, that’s a goal - it can be ‘crossed off’ or
achieved. If you want a better job, that’s a goal. Once you’ve got it - goal achieved. But if you want to fully apply yourself
at work, contribute your best, and engage fully in what you’re doing, that’s a value: it involves ongoing action.

THE BULL’S EYE

The ‘Bull’s Eye’ is a values-clarification exercise designed by a Swedish ACT therapist called Tobias Lundgren. (I have
rewritten it.) The dartboard on the next page is divided into four important domains of life: work/education, leisure,
relationships and personal growth/health. To begin with, please write down your values in these 4 areas of life. Not
everyone has the same values, and this is not a test to see whether you have the "correct" ones. Think in terms of general
life directions, rather than in terms of specific goals. There may be values that overlap – e.g. if you value studying
psychology, that may come under both Education and Personal Growth. Write down what you would value if there were
nothing in your way, nothing stopping you. What’s important? What do you care about? And what you would like to work
towards? Your value should not be a specific goal but instead reflect a way you would like to live your life over time. For
example, to accompany your son to a football game might be a goal; to be an involved and interested parent might be the
underlying value. Note! Make sure they are your values, not anyone else’s. It is your personal values that are important!

1. Work/Education: refers to your workplace & career, education and knowledge, skills development. (This may include
volunteering and other forms of unpaid work). How do you want to be towards your clients, customers, colleagues,
employees, fellow workers? What personal qualities do you want to bring to your work? What skills do you want to
develop?

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. Relationships: refers to intimacy, closeness, friendship and bonding in your life: it includes relationships with your
partner, children, parents, relatives, friends, co-workers, and other social contacts. What sort of relationships do you want
to build? How do you want to be in these relationships? What personal qaulities do you want to develop?

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. Personal Growth/Health: refers to your ongoing development as a human being. This may include include organized
religion, personal expressions of spirituality, creativity, developing life skills, meditation, yoga, getting out into nature;
exercise, nutrition, and addressing health risk factors like smoking.
......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

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© Dr Russ Harris, 2008 www.thehappinesstrap.com 1
4. Leisure: refers to how you play, relax, stimulate, or enjoy yourself; your hobbies or other activities for rest, recreation,
fun and creativity.

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

THE BULL’S EYE: Read through your values, then make an X in each area of the dart board, to represent where you
stand today. An X in the Bull’s Eye (the centre of the board) means that you are living fully by your values in that area of
life. An X far from Bull’s Eye means that you are way off the mark in terms of living by your values.

Since there are four areas of valued living, you should mark four Xs on the dart board.

I am living fully by I am acting very

my values inconsistently with
my values

Work/ Leisure
Education

Personal growth/ Relationships

Health
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© Dr Russ Harris, 2008 www.thehappinesstrap.com 2
YOUR VALUES:What really matters to you, deep in your heart? What do you want to do with your time on this
planet? What sort of person do you want to be? What personal strengths or qualities do you want to develop?

1. Work/Education: includes workplace, career, education, skills development, etc.

2. Relationships: includes your partner, children, parents, relatives, friends, co-workers, and other social contacts.

3. Personal Growth/Health: may include religion, spirituality, creativity, life skills, meditation, yoga, nature;
exercise, nutrition, and/or addressing health risk factors like smoking, alcohol, drugs or overeating etc

4. Leisure: how you play, relax, stimulate, or enjoy yourself; activities for rest, recreation, fun and creativity.

THE BULL’S EYE: make an X in each area of the dart board, to represent where you stand today.
I am acting very
I am living fully by inconsistently with
my values my values

Work/ Leisure
Education

Personal growth/ Relationships

Health

© Russ Harris, 2007 (adapted from Tobias Lundgren’s "Bull’s Eye" worksheet) www.thehappinesstrap.com
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