Creating a Values Map: a Big Cap Energy process
What is a Values Map and why make one?
A Values Map is a physical or digital (or both!) image that provides an instant external reminder of what you really care about. It is the result of taking time to reflect on your values, what makes you feel fullfilled or proud, what you intuitively know you give a f*** about, as well as what you wish to take into account when your making decisions and taking action in your life.
It visually shows which values are reoccurring which can help clarify what is most important to you. Not in a hierarchhical way, but in a way that conversves your energy when weighing options for how to spend your energy. Something the Archetype of Capricorn is very skilled at and committed to: conversating their energy for what matters - what is going to help them go the distance in drawing down The Dream.
It also takes into account that we often don’t have just a few values, we have many! We have ones that are repeats which you can imagine as a big boulder in your Values Aquifer (a resource to you in living life). We have medium rocks and small rocks that are related to the big boulders. For example, a big boulder of mine is Creativity, and the medium rocks around are storytelling, writing and dancing, while the small rocks around is are voice, podcasting and truth. These Aquifers of related rocks - Values, help us to see the bigger areas of life we want to prioritize like creativity, relationships, and social change.
Ultimately, the map is what you come back to in order to ground back into who you are and what you care about so decision making about what to commit to or how to proceed in a relationship or situation can be quicker, easier and clearer.
What you need for a Values Mapping process
I recommend doing the process with a big pad of paper, some pens or pencils, and post its. But you can also do it with any sized pieces of paper, scraps of paper instead of posts it, or completey digitally.
It’s good to have a wide open space for the process since you will physically be mapping out and rearranging each of the values - like putting a puzzle together. The floor or a big table work great.
Here’s a floor and table example:
The Step by Step Process for creating your Values Map
Step ONE: Set a timer for 2-5 minutes to braindump (flow!) one word values onto a piece of paper or Google doc.
Step TWO: Set a timer for 2-5 minutes and braindump one sentence answers to the following question: When was a moment you felt satisfied or fullfilled?
Step THREE: Set a timer for 2-5 minutes and braindump one sentence answers to the following question: When have you felt a moment of Pride?
Step FOUR: Set a timer for 2-5 minutes and braindump one sentence answers to the following question: What do you want to inform your actions?
Step FIVE: Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and review the braindumps with one sentence answers. Next to each sentence, try to distill the essence of that sentence down into one (max three!) values. For example: I felt pride when marching shirtless post-top surgery in the NYC Pride parade. This is distilled down into the values of identity, Pride, and authenticity.
Step SIX: Put each single word value onto a post it note (or small torn piece of paper or however you want to do it in a digital workplace)
Step SEVEN: Spread out all of the pieces of paper so you can see all of them. Preparing to start putting the puzzle - the map together.
Step EIGHT: Find the repeating values and stack them together.
Step NINE: Start intuitively pairing values together like one of those online word bubble charts or like a mind map.
Step TEN: Process the findings and take it further with any of the following actions:
Digitize the map
Re-do into a neater map
Draw lines between words/buckets
Draw circles around key areas of life / buckets
Count how many times each word appears (ex. storytelling is written on three pieces of paper so “Storytelling- 3) Use this to get a sense of “most important” or most potent priorities for you at this time
Count how many values (small pieces of paper) make up one big bucket (ex. Multiple loves, multiple cares, cuddling, softness, etc. = 13+ pieces of paper) use this again, as a way to understand the most important - most potent areas of life for you to focus on right now
Count up the total number of values to find your numerology life path and soul card guided by your values (ex. I had 103 pieces of paper: values, 1+ 0 +4 = 5 - The Hierophant: the card all about becoming the authority on your life)
Hang your Values Map up on your wall, your altar, your office, wherever!
Take a photo of it and put is as your screensaver on your phone and/or computer
Follow your intuition! Have fun! Experiment! PLAY. Values aren’t meant to be a drag, they’re meant to inspire us and empower us forward!
Comment below with what you’ve created! Post it on instragram and tag us @fullandplentyjoy. Email us with what you learned or how you made the process your own! hello@fullandplentyjoy.com
