Vocalize Your Values Worksheet (Printable PDF)
Money discussions are rarely about just money: It’s about values—and what you want money to do for you. So what are your values?
In the context of financial and relationship equality, your values are what will guide your decisions, both big and small. Values are what’s important to you, what you cherish about yourself and your relationships with others. Values are about who you want to be—and yet, for some reason, we spend very little time thinking about our values.
In his bestselling financial planning guide, The Finish Rich Workbook, David Bach tells readers that knowing their values—and getting clear about who they want to be—is the first step toward achieving financial goals. “When you understand what’s important to you, it becomes much easier to focus on who you want to be, then on what you want to do, and, finally, on what ‘stuff’ you really want to have,” he writes.[i] But knowing your values helps a lot more than just your financial life: Having a clear sense of who you want to be will guide every one of your life decisions—for the better.
Values are different than goals, he warns: Goals are what you want to do, while values are who you want to be. Having a million dollars is a goal, not a value. Becoming famous is a goal, not a value. But to accomplish either of those goals means understanding what’s important to you as an individual. In his Value Circle™ exercise, Bach asks readers to list the five core values by which they live (or want to live) their lives.[ii] Becoming famous is a goal, not a value. But to accomplish either of those goals means understanding what’s important to you as an individual.
Try it for yourself: What are your values?
List your top five values.
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[i] Bach, D. (2003). Finish rich workbook: Creating a personalized plan for a richer future (Get out of debs, put your dreams in action, and achieve financial freedom). New York, NY: Broadway Books.
[ii] Bach, D. (2001). Smart couples finish rich: 9 steps to creating a rich future for you and your partner. New York, NY: Broadway Books; Bach, 2003.