Self awareness
Personal Decision-Making Matrix Based on Core Values
This tool allows a client to score potential life choices against their own stated core values.
For the client stuck at a major life fork, a career change, a move, a relationship shift, the options can feel overwhelming. Standard pro-con lists often fall short, failing to capture the personal meaning behind each choice. This can lead to analysis paralysis, where the client endlessly weighs factors without a clear standard for what truly matters to them.
This directive provides a structure to systematically evaluate each option against the client’s own stated principles. It moves the process from a confusing list of external factors to a clear assessment of personal congruence. The client walks away with a well-reasoned justification for their decision, one that is grounded in their own definition of a good life.
Personal Decision-Making Matrix Based on Core Values
List 5 to 7 of your core values in the first column of a grid like the one below. In the header for each of the other columns, write a specific decision you are considering.
You will score how each decision aligns with each value. Use this scale: +2 if the decision strongly supports the value, +1 if it supports the value, 0 if it is neutral or irrelevant, -1 if it conflicts with the value, and -2 if it strongly conflicts with the value.
Work row by row, placing a score in each box. After scoring all options against all values, add up the numbers in each decision column. Write the final sum for each decision in the ‘TOTAL’ row.
| Core Value | Decision 1: [Describe] | Decision 2: [Describe] | Decision 3: [Describe] |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL |
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