'I want to do something that makes a difference.'

 

When you think about choices for your future, whether you know it or not, you'll be influenced by your values. These are qualities that you consider to be significant guides for how to behave, for example respect, courage and trust.  

What are your priority values?
Have a think about the motivators below and make a note of ten that are important to you. If you think there are any missing you can put those on your list instead.

Then take only five of your choices and put them in order from most important to least to see what is most important to you.

Money	Advancement	Leadership	Job satisfaction	Family
Holidays	Earning own money	Commitment	Security	Rewards
Make my own decisions	Social contribution	Make new friends	Career progression	Independence
Benefits	New skills	Travel	Buy things	Challenge
Creativity	Variety	Freedom	Helping others	Community
Workmates	Friends	Status	Fun	Experiment
Honesty	Learning	Respect	Generosity	Courage

 

How does this help me with choices for the future?

Although it's a very simple exercise, you can use these to see what is important to you and what your value priorities are. This will help you make choices that matter to you. For example, if freedom, travel, community and helping others come up on your list, maybe you'd be happy helping other people overseas.

Try something different
Mind maps are also another great way to explore your ideas and visualise your values. Have a go at creating your own like the example below with "Me and My Future" in the centre and important motivators and values around the outside. This should help you see some patterns in what matters to you.

Here is an example: