The Power of Knowing Your Core Values

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what truly makes you you?

Not your job title, your roles, or your responsibilities—but the deeper stuff. Your core values. These little guiding stars shape how we move through life, how we make decisions, and how we care for ourselves.

Why Core Values Matter

As we navigate different stages of life, our priorities evolve. What mattered at 20 may not even make the list at 40.

But underneath the changing seasons, our core values help us:

Manage stress – When we’re aligned with what matters to us, things feel more grounded and less chaotic.

Practice better self-care – It becomes easier to say yes to what nurtures us and no to what drains us.

Make decisions with clarity – Choices stop feeling like guesswork and start feeling like alignment.

Look after our physical and mental wellbeing – Living in line with our values supports both body and mind.

The trick is self-awareness. It’s not about getting it “perfect,” but about checking in regularly and asking: Does the life I’m living match what I believe matters most?

My First Experience With This

I first came across the idea of identifying core values years ago during a coaching course. It made sense, but like many things, it drifted into the background.

Fast forward a while, and a friend of mine—who happens to be an amazing mindset coach—reminded me of a simple little exercise anyone can do. And it brought everything back into focus.

The 3–4 Word Exercise

Here’s the exercise she shared:

Write down three to four key words that sum up what’s most important to you—the things that make you tick, light you up, or anchor you.

Not sentences. Not a paragraph. Just words.

I did mine, and they’ve stayed with me ever since. I keep them with me and check in often to make sure my life is, at least mostly, aligned with them.

My four are:

Ocean

Creative

Freedom

Learning

Just seeing them written down makes me feel more connected to myself—and helps me notice quickly when something’s off.

Bringing This Into My Work

When I’m working with groups or individuals, particularly around menopause and women’s health, I get clients to do this exercise in our first session or call. It’s simple but incredibly revealing. It opens the door to conversations about stress, health, boundaries, and purpose in a really grounded way.

Give It a Go Today

You don’t need a course, a coach, or a worksheet. Just a quiet moment and a pen.

Ask yourself:

What matters most to me?

What do I need to feel like myself?

What words light something up in me?

Write down 3–4 words. Keep them somewhere you’ll see them. And every now and then, check in. Are you living in a way that honours them?

If not—that awareness alone is the first step back into alignment.

Why not give it a go today?