Strengths, Interests & Values
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Learning Objectives
- 1Distinguish strengths, interests, and values with clear examples
- 2Name three personal strengths supported by evidence
- 3List three interests that energize you
- 4Identify three values that guide your choices
Mini Lesson
Knowing yourself starts with three questions. What am I good at? What lights me up? What kind of person do I want to be? The answers are your strengths, your interests, and your values — three different lenses on who you are. Together they help you make smart choices about how to spend your time and how to act.
Strengths — what you do well
A strength is something you do well, especially when you have evidence to back it up. Evidence is a real example: a time you helped, a problem you solved, a moment people noticed. A claim without evidence is just an opinion. A strength with evidence is a piece of self-knowledge you can trust.
- Examples of strengths: kindness, perseverance, curiosity, responsibility, creativity, listening.
- Strengths grow with practice — they are not fixed at birth.
- Saying "I am responsible because I always finish my chores without being asked" is stronger than "I am responsible."
Interests — what energizes you
An interest is something that energizes you. You happily spend an hour on it without checking the clock. Interests can match your strengths, but they do not have to — you can love something you are still learning to do well.
- Examples of interests: reading, building, coding, drawing, sports, music, animals, history.
- Interests can change over time — that is normal.
- Following your interests helps you find the work you would happily do for years.
Values — what matters most
A value is something that matters to you so much that it guides your choices. Values are about how you want to act, not just what you want to do. When two choices clash, your values help you decide.
- Examples of values: honesty, kindness, fairness, hard work, family, learning, courage.
- Integrity means living by your values even when no one is watching.
- Saying "I value honesty, so I tell the truth even when it is hard" is a value plus the action that proves it.
Tip: every strength deserves evidence. If you cannot point to a real moment that shows the strength, it is a goal — not yet a strength. That is fine; goals grow into strengths with practice.
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