Hey there,
Welcome to Day 4 of the 5-Day Values Mini-Course.
Today, we're exploring what makes a value good or bad—for you.
Because not all values are created equal.
Over the last few days, we've talked about how values shape everything:
Your decisions, your relationships, your sense of direction, even your identity.
And you've started to identify what some of your values might be, based on the flare signals your emotions are sending you.
But now that you've paid attention to some of those signals and identified a handful of values as a result, you might be wondering if those values are even good for you.
TODAY'S MINI-LESSON: How to Know if Your Values Are Good (or Wrecking You)
While we can generally agree that honesty is better than deception, and compassion beats cruelty—figuring out which of your values are helping you grow versus keeping you stuck isn't always so obvious.
But lucky for you—I'm giving you the shortcut:
A value is only "good" if it actually supports your psychological well-being.
And, thanks to psychologist Carol Ryff, we've got a solid framework to measure that.
After studying everything from Aristotle to Maslow, Ryff identified six core dimensions that define healthy, sustainable well-being—the kind that lasts longer than a dopamine hit or a motivational quote. If your values help you grow in these six areas, they're probably solid.
If they don't? They might be holding you back.
Here are Ryff's 6 Markers of a "Good" Value:
- Autonomy
Do your values help you think for yourself—or do they just keep you chasing approval? - Environmental Mastery
Do they help you take control of your circumstances—or leave you stuck, overwhelmed, and reactive? - Personal Growth
Do your values challenge you to evolve—or are they keeping you comfortable and stagnant? - Positive Relationships
Do they make you better at being in real, mutual connection—or do they isolate you and harden you? - Purpose in Life
Do they give your life a sense of direction—or are you just floating through your days, hoping it'll all work out? - Self-Acceptance
Do your values help you accept and own who you are—or are they making you feel like you're never enough?
TODAY'S ACTION PROMPT
As we can see, a good value doesn't just feel good—it helps you become more whole, more grounded, and more effective in the world.
A bad value might sound virtuous, but if it keeps you chasing perfection, playing small, self-isolating, or hiding from hard conversations, it's not helping.
Today, take a look at this list of six dimensions, and ask:
Do the things I am giving my time and energy to promote these six areas in my life?
If you want to take this one step further:
Take out a journal, write each of these six markers down in a list. Beside each, rank how satisfied you are in each of these categories on a scale of 1-10. Be honest. This gives you a good reading of where the values you're currently living are lacking.
This snapshot of your satisfaction levels is an important preliminary step to clarifying where your values are on or off track. That's the shift. That's the work.
WANT TO TAKE THIS LESSON EVEN DEEPER?
→ Continue this values-resetting journey with me in my Values, Solved Course inside The Solved Membership. You'll get daily action prompts designed to help you clarify your top core values in just 10-15 minutes per day, and end the month with a simple plan to line up your life with what really matters to you.
→ Listen to the Values, Solved Podcast (it's completely free).
→ Read more about this lesson in our Values, Solved Guide – [click here to download]
Tomorrow, we'll talk about how you CHANGE your values, for the better.
See you then,
Mark
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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