WHAT IS THE DECK?
Years go into building a life.
A career. A reputation. A family. A business. Responsibilities. Experiences. Achievements.
But the question underneath rarely gets asked
What's guiding my decisions?
What actually matters
most to me?
Your Core Values is the tool for answering that question.
What you receive
-
72 Values Cards
-
Nine Categories
-
Instructions for solo, paired & daily practice
-
A lifetime of direction
Who is it for?
For men who want to know what's actually running them, not just what they're doing.
For the ones who want to stop escalating and start listening. Stop managing people and start leading them.
Solo, with a partner, in circle, or with a group. However he's set to use it.
How it works
The Funnel. Sort the cards. Narrow to what's actually running you.
The Colour Read. See the shape of what you're leading with.
The Pressure Test. Find out which values hold when it counts.
The Daily Core. Five minutes a day. This is how a value moves from the card into a life.
This is not to become someone else.
It is to become more of who you already are.
WHY VALUES MATTER
Your values influence every part of your life.
When you change, life changes.
You used to ask "will they approve?"
Now you act knowingly.
They shape your decisions.
Your relationships.
Your standards.
Your boundaries.
What you pursue.
What you tolerate.
What you walk away from.
You used to apologise for what you wanted.
Now you name what you need.
You used to carry what wasn't yours.
Now you hand it back.
They are at work in you whether you see them or not.
The question is whether you see them.
Your values become your compass. What you steer by. What you check yourself against. What sets your course through life's opportunities, challenges, decisions, and relationships.
THE NINE CATEGORIES
The 72 values are grouped into nine categories.
Together they represent different aspects of being human. As you work through the deck, notice where your values sit. The categories are another way of seeing yourself clearly.
01
Character & Integrity
The moral spine. Who you are when nobody is watching.
These values shape how you show up.
They are the foundation of trust, with yourself and with others.
Who am I choosing to be?
02
Strength & Spine
What holds you steady in the storm. The ability to stand firm when life becomes challenging.
These are the values life calls on when it asks more of you.
What helps me stay strong?
03
Inner Life
The inner terrain. Where you meet yourself.
When the world within is clear, the world around it gets clearer too.
How do I relate to myself?
04
Mind & Growth
How you evolve. Curiosity, learning, expansion.
These values keep you curious. They keep you evolving.
How am I growing?
05
Love & Relationships
The intimate ground. What you hold close.
Meaningful relationships sit at the centre of a meaningful life.
What do I care most about?
06
​Connection & Belonging
The bonds that strengthen life. The circle that holds you.
We are wired for connection.
Where do I belong?
07
Purpose & Legacy
What you build and leave behind. What gives life direction and meaning.
These values connect what you do today to something bigger than yourself.
Why does this matter?
08
Expression & Vitality
What brings you alive. Bringing yourself fully into the world.
The work of sharing what you have to give.
How do I express who I am?
09
Balance & Wellbeing
The foundations of a life. Creating a life you can sustain.
These are the foundations. Everything else stands on them.
What helps me stay centred?
Phil - Director
Melbourne’s Best Verandahs
​
We've actually implemented something.
Every Wednesday at twelve, the whole team sits down. At the end of one meeting, we pick a card. That value becomes the theme for next week.
First was assertiveness. Then courage. Then honesty.
Same three questions every time. What does this value mean to you? How are you bringing it to the business? How are you bringing it to your personal life?
Five minutes each. That's it.
The first time was awkward. No one really knew what to say. By the third and fourth week we had a rhythm. Real talk. It lifted the whole team and brought us together in a way meetings hadn't.
It's f**king amazing.
HIGHER VALUE CONGRUENCE IS LINKED WITH
THE SCIENCE BEHIND VALUES
Research consistently shows that wellbeing increases when actions match deeply held values.
Psychologists call this value congruence - the fit between what you say matters and how you actually live.
When your actions match your values, life feels meaningful. When they do not, tension follows.
The purpose of this deck is not to tell you what your values should be. It is to help you discover what they already are, and live them more deliberately.
RESEARCH & FURTHER READING
Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal Striving, Need Satisfaction, and Longitudinal Well-Being: The Self-Concordance Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(3), 482–497.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change.
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological Flexibility as a Fundamental Aspect of Health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 865–878.
Veage, S., Ciarrochi, J., & Deane, F. (2014). Value Congruence, Importance and Success as Predictors of Burnout. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.
Sagiv, L., Roccas, S., Cieciuch, J., & Schwartz, S. H. (2017). Personal Values in Human Life. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 630–639.