How to Write Your Unique Personal Value Statement

Having a personal value statement helps guide your professional career and overall life journey. Much like companies that have a value statement, you will see higher returns on your greatest ambitions.

The Benefits of a Personal Value Statement

Companies have value statements to quickly show people what value they can add to their lives. Having a punchy, go-to phrase that sums up your professional aspirations will help you in the same ways.

1. Forces clarity

Making a personal value statement is difficult. You are taking your whole life experience and distilling it into a sentence or two. However, that clarity will help you know what you want and makes it easier to convey that to others.

2. Makes You Stand-Out

Studies show that people have a terrible time knowing in detail past experiences. However, people tend to remember how they felt. When you tell someone your value statement, they will be impressed and remember how you made them feel. 

3. Increases Conversion

Companies have a 54% more likely chance of having sales conversion when their value statement is on their homepage. What are you aiming for in your career? Chances are by having it front and center, you are more likely to find your goals converting.

4. Enhances Your Personal Brand:

Your personal brand is your reputation in the marketplace. By having a crisp value statement, it will help your brand all that more.

Examples of Value Propositions

Value propositions are what companies use to stand-out and show their value to the market. For example, Uber “The smartest way to get around”. Slack “be more productive at work with less effort” or Digit “save money without thinking about it”

You get a feel for what these companies are all about without having to research into them. And they also pique your interest, you want to know more about them.

An Easy Personal Value Statement Template

An easy way to approach the value statement is to think in these terms:

We help (X) do (Y) by doing (Z).

This methodology was developed by Steve Blank and he has used this exact framework to help launch 100s of innovative products and start-ups. Using the framework helps easily shape your thinking.

For example, the blog’s value statement is “We help lifelong learners work towards living their ideal life by providing helpful insights into everyday aspects of life.”

The Steps to Creating a Personal Value Statement

Get out a pen and paper, or start writing up notes as you go through the below prompts!

1. Know Your Goal

Think about your goal in life. It is a big question – if you know the answer – great! Most of us don’t know what we want to do and that is okay. Go on a smaller scale. What is your goal for this year or the next three years? Knowing your main goal up-front will help you drive the relevant aspects below.

Need help thinking of your goal? Check out this guide on how to think big!

2. Who are your Customers?

Who are you aiming to help? Do you want to volunteer at non-profits and directly serve those you wish to help, or do you want to go into a Fortune 500 company and try to drive change there? Knowing your audience enables you to tailor your message to the words, and spin you want to take.

For instance, at a company, you would want to lead with your skills, and how it can help the company when you get to do what your purpose is. When helping volunteers, it helps to go with your vision of the future and how your skills can get them there.

3. What do you value?

What is it that you value? Freedom, integrity, health, status, trustworthiness, or something else? James Clear received a list when he worked at The Leadershape Institute of the most common core values for people. Check the list out and pick only the top 5. You may identify with many of them – but force yourself to only select the 5 that most resonate with you.

4. What are your strengths?

What do you excel in? Which activities do you do better than most people? Or, what skills would you like to develop on your career journey? If you are stuck, go ask friends or trusted colleagues. People are often better able to articulate our strengths than we are personally.

If you are feeling stuck, remember is it always better to have a growth mindset where you can grow into your new skills. Check-out our guide on how to develop your own growth mindset.

5. How Will You Impact Others?

In the end, how do you want to make people’s lives better? What do you want to contribute to the world? Fast-forward to when you are eighty years old. You are content and happy with your life. In what ways did you give back to help bring this sense of contentment that is personally fulfilling to you?

Put it all together – Make Your Personal Value Statement

If you were taking notes and writing out this exercise – you probably have lots of notes and random little scribbles. Perfectly normal! Now, take a highlighter and pick the parts of these that mean the most to you. Making your personal value statement is all about continually distilling:

• Who you are
• What you do
• And your goals

Turn the highlights into a single sentence. Your personal value statement can change with time as well. For now, simply focus on what you have in front of you.

Place it in the format (or make your own that works for you)!

I help (X) do (Y) by doing (Z).

And once you have that, there is your personal value statement! You can refine it with time, but now you have a guidepost on making your ideal life!

Key Take-Aways

• A personal value statement takes all the little aspects of yourself and distills it into a single sentence that helps describe your life’s purpose and how you will get there.
• Your personal value statement can change with time – it is about adjusting so you are moving to the life you want to be living.

Action Item

Create your personal value statement today! When you finish the exercise, write it on a post-it note or keep it on your do-to list so you always remember what it is that you are trying to do in life!