Values and motives are separated
The profile does not assume that what you say matters most is automatically what energizes your behavior.
Premium values & direction assessment · $8.99 · report included
Values, Motivation & Direction Profile
A 48-item profile that separates what matters to you, what tends to energize you, and whether your recurring choices reflect those priorities. It is a decision-alignment tool, not a career matcher.
Premium tier48 itemsAbout 10–14 minutes8 dimensions
$8.99 one-time · full detailed report included · no second report charge
Values, motives and choices separatedSee where priorities, motivation and day-to-day decisions line up, and where they pull in different directions.
One payment, full report$8.99 once. The detailed report is included with no second report charge.
Limits stated clearlyOriginal DesperateMinds values, motivation and direction educational profile. Educational self-report; not vocational selection, financial advice or a claim that one life path is objectively correct.
MethodologySee evidence and limitations →Why the paid profile is different
See the gap between what matters and what actually drives decisions.
A short values exercise can help you name what matters. This profile goes further by separating values clarity, different sources of motivation and the degree to which priorities show up in real choices.
Alignment is measured directly
A dedicated decision-alignment domain looks at whether priorities show up in time, boundaries and choices.
Full report included
Your report explains value conflicts, motivation gaps and concrete ways to translate priorities into decisions.
Before you choose the paid tier
Choose it for a recurring direction problem, not for a single answer.
This is a good fit if your priorities feel clear on paper but messy in practice.
The premium profile is most useful when you are trying to understand repeated trade-offs across work, study, relationships or personal goals, especially when motivation and stated priorities do not seem to match.
The free Core Values Test may be enough if you only want to name your priorities.
You do not need the premium version just to identify broad values. This profile also does not choose a career, make financial decisions or tell you that one life path is objectively correct.
Before you start
Think about recurring choices, not one current crossroads.
Answer across work, study, relationships and personal goals. Try to distinguish what genuinely matters to you from what you feel expected to value.
- 48 items across values clarity, motivation and decision-alignment dimensions.
- The result separates what matters to you from what tends to energize your behavior.
- Your profile highlights places where priorities and recurring choices support or compete with each other.
- $8.99 includes the full detailed report with no separate report fee.
Method & limits
Treat the result as a map of current priorities, not a permanent identity.
This is an original DesperateMinds educational self-report covering values clarity, autonomy, mastery, achievement, connection, purpose, security and decision alignment. It is not vocational selection or financial advice.
Priorities can change with life stage, responsibilities and context. The profile is most useful for noticing tensions and patterns that deserve a deliberate choice, not for outsourcing the choice to a score.
What you receive
See where values, motivation and decisions reinforce or compete with each other.
Your report explains all eight dimensions, highlights cross-domain tensions and alignment patterns, and provides practical experiments and reflection prompts for turning priorities into clearer decisions.
Questions before buying
Questions people ask when values and motivation do not line up
Will this tell me what career I should choose?
No. It can clarify patterns in autonomy, mastery, achievement, connection, purpose and security, but it does not choose a career or predict which job will make you happy.
Can two important values conflict with each other?
Yes. Security and autonomy, achievement and balance, or connection and independence can all pull in different directions. The point is to make the trade-off visible rather than pretend one value always wins.
Why measure motivation separately from values?
People can value something deeply without feeling energized by the tasks required to pursue it. Separating the two helps distinguish a priority from the conditions that make follow-through easier or harder.
What if I keep choosing what I think I should value?
Answer from recurring choices and reactions rather than an ideal self. If a result feels socially desirable but unlike your real life, that mismatch is useful information to examine.
Can my values profile change over time?
Yes. Core themes may be stable for long periods, but priorities and the way they are expressed can change with roles, relationships, responsibilities and major life transitions.
Related reading
Explore the ideas behind values and motivation.
Use these guides to separate values from goals, identify priorities from real choices, and understand why something can matter to you without reliably motivating action.
Guide
What Are Core Values?
Clarify what values are, how they differ from goals, and why they can compete with each other.
Read guide →GuideHow to Find Your Core Values
Use concrete choices and trade-offs to identify values without relying only on a list of appealing words.
Read guide →GuideIntrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
Understand how different sources of motivation can support, compete with or fail to match an important value.
Read guide →