Before any conversation about money, there's a conversation about life. This worksheet helps you name what matters most — in your own words — so the financial plan we build can serve it. Take it at your own pace. There are no right answers, only honest ones.
A few questions to settle into the right headspace. About five minutes.
Skim a list of 46 values across four categories. Mark the ones that resonate. Trust your gut.
Pick your top 5–7. Rate each on a 1–10 scale. Write what each one means in your own words.
For your top three, three deeper prompts. This is where the planning conversation starts.
Your values aren't background information — they become the foundation of every financial decision we make together.
Don't overthink. Read each word; if it lands, check it. Most people end up with 12–20 checked at this stage. You'll narrow them down on the next page.
Don't see what matters most to you on this list? Write it in on the next page. These 46 are a starting point, not a ceiling.
Look at what you checked. Notice patterns. Then pick the 5–7 that feel most essential right now — the ones you'd defend if pressed. For each, rate its importance and write a sentence about what it actually means to you.
Trust your first instinct — it's usually the most honest. 1–3 means it's nice but not essential. 4–6 means somewhat important. 7–9 is very important. 10 is non-negotiable.
| # | Your core value | Rating (1–10) | What does this value mean to you? (one sentence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 |
Pick the three with the highest ratings (or the three you can't imagine cutting). For each, three short reflections. This is where your values start translating into a financial plan.
How is this value currently expressed in your life? Where does your money support it — or contradict it?
What does living this value look like, day to day?
What would it look like if this value were even more central to your life?
How is this value currently expressed in your life? Where does your money support it — or contradict it?
What does living this value look like, day to day?
What would it look like if this value were even more central to your life?
How is this value currently expressed in your life? Where does your money support it — or contradict it?
What does living this value look like, day to day?
What would it look like if this value were even more central to your life?
Bring this worksheet to your next meeting — or send a photo of it ahead of time. Here's how we use what's on these pages.
Your money has a job. The values you wrote down tell us what that job is — not in the abstract, but for the next five and twenty-five years.
The next time you're weighing a major financial choice — a house, a sabbatical, a gift, an early retirement — we'll hold it up against this list. It makes the answer faster, and usually clearer.
Investment mix, cash-flow planning, insurance, charitable giving, estate — each piece gets built around who you are, not around a generic template.
When markets get volatile, when life shifts unexpectedly, when a child asks for help — we come back to this list. It keeps the conversation grounded in what matters.
If your answers feel uncertain, or your top three changed three times while you wrote them, that's fine. Bring it as it is. The worksheet is meant to start the conversation, not finish it.