Executive & Career Coaching

Identifying Your Values in Action

Identifying Your Values in ActionIdentifying our Values in Action moves us toward our vision, and helps us be true to ourselves and live an authentic life.

What we value drives our actions and decisions. Having clarity about our values can help us select how we spend our time in a way that:

  • Moves us toward our vision
  • Helps us be true to ourselves
  • Helps us live an authentic life

In Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman identifies twenty-four signature strengths or Values in Action that fall into six categories. His list is below:

  • Wisdom and Knowledge:
    • Curiosity
    • Love of learning
    • Judgment
    • Ingenuity
    • Social intelligence
    • Perspective
  • Courage:
    • Valor
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity
  • Humanity and love:
    • Kindness and loving
  • Justice:
    • Citizenship
    • Fairness
    • Leadership
  • Temperance:
    • Self-control
    • Prudence
    • Humility
  • Transcendence:
    • Appreciation of beauty
    • Gratitude
    • Hope
    • Spirituality
    • Forgiveness
    • Humor
    • Zest

VIA Signature Strengths Inventory – Online

In order to determine your Top Five Values in Action, you can either look through the list and choose your top five or take the VIA Strengths Inventory online. It takes about 30-40 minutes to complete.

Here is the web link to take the test online.

You will need to register to take the inventory. There is no cost. Once you register, click on show questionnaire under VIA Strengths Inventory. It should be the first item on the list.

Once you complete the survey, your scores will appear. Select all 24 and print out the results.

If you need to get out of the inventory and get back into it, your answers to that point will be saved and here is the link:

http://www.authentichappiness.com

Examining Your Values

Once you have taken the Values in Action Inventory and you are done identifying your top five values or selected your top five values from the list, you can create values statements that will help you live in alignment with your values.

VIA Strengths Example:

  • Capacity to love and be loved
  • Social Intelligence
  • Love of Learning
  • Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
  • Caution, prudence, and discretion

Example of Values Statements

 VIA Strengths (Values in Action)  
 Capacity to love and be loved  Listen to and truly hear others. Support others’ feelings.  Give to others without expecting reciprocity.
 Social Intelligence  Act in a way that brings out the best in others.
 Love of Learning  Read, write, research, and investigate things I’m interested in.
 Creativity, ingenuity, and originality  Create workshops and write articles and books.
 Caution, prudence, and discretion  Take care of my health.
 Low scoring value:  Bravery  Don’t let fear stop me.

Identifying Values in Action & Writing Value Statements

Fill in your values in the Values Column. Then write a statement on how you will live this value. Value statements should reflect how you would like to lead your life.

 Values  Value Statements
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Download Chart

NEXT – Creating Your Life Mission

Table of Contents

Be the Leader you’ve always wanted to be!

[book_a_consult][/book_a_consult]