Find Your Core Values and Use Them as a Compass for Life

Have you ever finished a day and felt like you were running in circles, checking off tasks, and yet somehow… empty? Maybe you hit every deadline, said yes to every request, and still came home with a nagging sense that you were out of alignment with yourself. That feeling isn’t a flaw in you — it’s a signal. Your nervous system is trying to tell you something: you’re operating without your compass.

That compass is your core values. These are not vague ideals or corporate jargon; they’re the principles that light you up, guide your choices, and help you feel alive. Play is the bridge that connects you back to them. When life has been all deadlines, obligations, and mental load, playful experiences signal safety, curiosity, and presence — and when you notice that spark, your values become visible.

Why Core Values Matter

Most people think values are just something you put on paper once, maybe in a workshop or a journal, and then forget. But true core values are felt in your body, reflected in your decisions, and lived in your actions.

They are the filter through which every choice should pass. If your day-to-day actions don’t honor your values, it’s easy to feel depleted, resentful, or like life is just a series of chores. If your actions align with your top values, suddenly your days feel intentional, playful, and energizing — even if life is busy.

Play is the key here because it’s a nervous system reset. When you engage in playful experiences — laughing, moving, exploring, creating — your brain shifts out of survival mode into a more open, curious state. That openness makes it easier to recognize your values, make aligned decisions, and notice what truly brings you joy.

Step 1: Identify Your Core Values

This is where the work gets tangible. I want you to slow down and reflect:

1. Think of a moment in the past month when you felt fully alive, curious, or joyful. Maybe it was a solo walk, a creative project, a conversation with a friend, or even a small win at work.

2. Ask yourself: What was happening here that mattered to me? Was it connection? Freedom? Creativity? Discovery? Humor? Growth?

3. Write down the words that capture that essence. Do this for 3–5 different moments to notice patterns.

As you notice patterns, you’ll likely start to see 1–3 top values emerge. These are your guiding lights — the ones that matter most when you’re making decisions, prioritizing time, and planning micro-play or bigger life moves.

Example:

• Claire’s moments of joy: She loved mentoring her team (connection), painting in the evening (creativity), and taking solo hikes on weekends (freedom). Her top values: connection, creativity, freedom.

These values are your compass. When every decision is filtered through them, you’ll naturally gravitate toward what energizes you and away from what depletes you.

Step 2: See Where You’re Out of Alignment

Take a day or week and track where your energy goes. Which activities honor your top 1–3 values? Which don’t?

• Aligned: Brainstorming a fun project with colleagues (creativity), cooking dinner for family (connection), exploring a new trail (freedom).

• Not aligned: Endless scrolling through emails or social media (no value honored), attending a meeting that could have been an email (no value honored), doing a task purely out of obligation (not honoring top values).

This step isn’t about judgment — it’s about awareness. Once you notice where you’re out of alignment, you can start to reclaim your time and energy intentionally.

Step 3: Use Play to Practice Your Values

Here’s where Camp Playstate’s philosophy comes in. Play isn’t a luxury — it’s a practice that trains your nervous system and highlights what matters to you.

• Curiosity & Freedom: Take 15 minutes to explore something new — a neighborhood, a recipe, a creative medium. Notice what sparks delight.

• Connection: Schedule a playful interaction — a coffee date, a silly game, or a co-created ritual with a friend.

• Creativity: Spend five minutes making something small — doodle, collage, or rearrange your space.

Even micro-moments like these reconnect you to your values. When your nervous system feels safe and your body feels energized, the next decisions you make naturally align with what matters most.

Step 4: Make Decisions Through Your Values

Once your top 1–3 values are clear, every choice becomes simpler. Before committing, ask yourself:

1. Does this honor my values? If yes, move forward. If no, can you delegate, modify, or decline?

2. Will this nourish my nervous system and energy, or drain it?

3. Does this feel like play or like obligation?

These questions act as a practical filter for busy lives. Instead of defaulting to what’s urgent or expected, you start choosing what’s right for you.

Step 5: Community Amplifies Your Alignment

One of the most powerful ways to integrate values into your life is to practice with others. Inside The 6-Week Reset, members:

• Reflect together on moments of alignment and misalignment

• Share micro-play exercises that honor their values

• Support each other in experimenting with playful rituals

• Celebrate wins and share ideas for how to keep values front and center

The result? You don’t just feel connected to yourself — you feel part of a community living intentionally, experimenting joyfully, and supporting each other’s aliveness.

Step 6: Your Weekly Alignment Practice

This week, try this simple experiment:

1. Identify one top value you want to honor this week.

2. Pick one micro-play activity that embodies it.

3. Notice the difference in your mood, energy, and clarity when you act intentionally.

4. Reflect: Did your choices feel easier? Did your nervous system feel lighter?

Micro-practices like this compound over time. And when repeated weekly, they become a lifestyle — one where burnout has less power and joy becomes a reliable, habitual force.

Closing Thoughts

Your core values aren’t just words — they’re a compass for your life. When you know them, and when you bring play into your days, you can:

• Make choices that honor your energy

• Reconnect to curiosity and creativity

• Reduce stress and burnout

• Build a life that feels intentional, alive, and joyful

Play and core values are inseparable. Play reveals what matters, and values guide how you act on it. Together, they create a feedback loop that keeps you aligned, energized, and connected — to yourself and your community.

Doors open January 7.
Join the waitlist for the 6-Week Reset and start using play as your compass. Discover your top values, practice micro-play aligned with them, and experience the power of a supportive, playful community that helps you stay alive, joyful, and intentional every day.