The Values Audit: A Practical Guide to Reconnecting with Your Purpose

Most of us know the feeling of living on autopilot: reacting to the day's demands, moving from task to task, guided by impulse or habit instead of intention. But what if you could navigate your daily experiences more with more skill, clarity, and meaning?

The solution isn't always another goal, a bigger achievement, or a more demanding schedule. Often, the most profound shift comes from reconnecting with your core personal values—the principles that define the person you want to be.

Values guide intentional living like a compass, always pointing you towards your North Star. 

We often say we don’t have time for all the things that matter—hobbies, friends, family. Yet, spending our time at tasks we don’t value only diverts us further from a life of fulfillment.

Identifying your values provides a “life reset” that answers two questions: 

• "What truly matters most to me? 

• And am I really living in alignment with what matters most?”

Purpose Comes in Two Sizes: Future Vision and Right Now

“Finding your purpose" can feel abstract and intimidating. It helps to think about purpose as coming in two varieties:

• Future Vision - the long term direction guided by your most meaningful life endeavors

• Present Moment Purpose - how you “show up” for others, through small intentional actions that embody your values, right now! 

Phase I: Future Vision

Your Future Vision is the big-picture direction of your life, rooted in your most important life domains (e.g. relationship, friends, physical self-care). These chosen life domains shape the person you want to become and the life you want to lead. 

Step 1: Identify Your Valued Life Domains

Rate the importance of each domain on a scale of 1 (not important) to 10 (very important). Be brutally honest about your truest desires. Let your own values be your compass—be guided by your own light, not by the expectations or validation of others.

Life Domain	Importance (1 - 10)	Consistency (1 - 10)
Marriage / Relationship Friends / Social life Work Recreation / Fun Education / Training  Physical self care Family Parenting Creative Expression Citizenship / Community Spirituality / Religion Environmental	____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____	____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Step 2: Assess the Consistency of Your Actions 

Now rate how consistent your behavior has been in each domain over the past month, again from 1 (very inconsistent) to 10 (very consistent).

Step 3: Examine The Results

Analyze your results by comparing your two scores for each domain; Importance vs Consistency. Pay special attention to the areas ranked high in Importance but low in Consistency. 

Your True North Isn't What You Value—It's the Gap You Ignore. 

The result from your Values Audit is not a report card. The gap between what matters and what you actually do isn’t a sign of failure; it’s a clear, personalized road map for change.  

For example, you might rate Spirituality as a “9” in importance, but if your spiritual practice fell during the holidays, your consistency might be closer to a “5”. This is where living on autopilot keeps us in our habit loops, avoiding the direct action needed to realign with our values. Closing the gap doesn’t require a life overhaul, it requires intentional action, one small step at a time. 

Phase 2 - Present Moment Purpose

Future Vision gives you direction, but Present Moment Purpose turns that direction into action. Present Moment Purpose contains two key components:

1. Action - what actions can I take right now that align with my values?

2. Identity - what kind of person do I want to be in this moment, with these people, in this situation?

The Daily Practice

Start each morning by setting intentions for that day. This keeps you grounded in the present while still moving towards your North Star. These intended actions are small, daily tasks that you choose–choices that accumulate into a life lived intentionally. 

Write your intentions down where you can easily access them. Consult them when autopilot creeps up. 

Here are a few examples of how a Life Domain connects Identity and Action:

Life Domain	Identity	Intention / Action
Social Life Creative Expression Citizenship	Assertiveness Creativity, Integrity Generosity, Compassion	Call Erin after breakfast Free write for 15 minutes before bed Start a list of places to volunteer

You can express the full chain in a single sentence:

I value [Life Domain], so I will personify [Personal Value], by doing this: [Valued Action].

• I value my social life so I will be assertive and call Erin right after eating breakfast.

• I value creative expression, so I will be creative and live with integrity by free writing for 15-45 minutes before bed.

• I value giving back, so I will be generous and compassionate by volunteering at a local animal shelter.

Conclusion: From Autopilot to Intention

Living an authentic, intentional life is not a finish line you cross; it’s a daily practice of choosing actions that reflect who you want to be. It’s about disengaging the autopilot and taking back the controls. When your behavior aligns what matters most, you don’t just feel more productive—you feel more like yourself.

The Values Audit shows you where that alignment is strong and where it’s slipping. Those gaps aren’t failures, they’re invitations, pointing directly to the places where small, deliberate choices can create meaningful change.

So look at your day with honesty and curiosity. Notice where you drifted and where you stayed true. And before your head hits the pillow tonight, choose one action—small, specific, and value-driven—that brings you one step closer to the life you intend to live.

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This article is informed by the concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), pioneered by Steven C. Hayes.