My Values Card Sort

A between-session activity, usually 15 to 25 minutes

This activity helps you figure out, in your own words, what matters most to you. You will sort 83 value cards (things like family, honesty, adventure, independence) into piles by how important each one is to you, then narrow down to the handful that matter most. People often find that seeing their own priorities laid out clearly makes decisions, and conversations about them, easier.

Two ways to do it

Online (recommended)

Use the interactive version on your phone, tablet, or computer. It walks you through every step, and nothing you enter leaves your device.

Web address: myvaluescardsort.com

On paper

Sort the printed card deck into three piles (using the three header cards), then record your results on the worksheet that comes with this sheet.

The steps

Go through all the cards one at a time, placing each into Very Important to Me, Important to Me, or Not Important to Me. Go with your first instinct.
From your Very Important pile, choose the ten that feel most central to who you are.
From those ten, choose five and put them in order of importance.
For each of your five, write a few words about why it matters and how you are living it right now.

A few reassurances: there are no right or wrong answers. Sort by what is true for you now, not what should matter or what others expect. Placing a value in "Not Important" is not a judgment of it. If choosing feels hard in places, that is normal; the hard choices are usually the informative ones.

What to bring to your next session

Your ranked top five, with your written notes (print, copy, or the paper worksheet).
Anything that surprised you, and any cards that were hard to place.

Personal Values Card Sort: W. R. Miller, J. C'de Baca, D. B. Matthews, & P. L. Wilbourne (2001), University of New Mexico. Public domain. Instruction sheet © 2026 Everyday Insight LLC; permission is granted to copy it for personal and professional use. For educational and personal wellness purposes only; not medical or psychological advice, and no professional relationship is created by its use. myvaluescardsort.com