How To Pick Projects That Fit Your Values, Not Just Your Wallet

Why This Choice Matters More Than You Think

Most people pick work for one main reason. The paycheck.

Money matters. Rent is real. Groceries are real. But if every project you say yes to fights your values, you pay in other ways. Stress. Burnout. Regret.

Surveys show that people who feel their work matches their values are more engaged and less likely to quit. In one major workplace study, employees who saw a strong purpose fit were more than twice as likely to stay long term compared to those who did not. That gap shows up in mental health, performance, and basic happiness.

Anthony Anderson is a good guide here. He has said yes to a wide mix of roles: sitcoms, dramas, films, food shows, game shows, and community work. He has also turned some things down when they did not sit right with him. He has brought his own life into his projects, including diabetes, family, and his roots in Compton. That mix gives him real experience in balancing money offers with personal values.

1. Know Your Non-Negotiables

You cannot pick value based projects if you do not know your values. Start simple.

Grab a piece of paper. Write down five things that matter most to you in work. Not vague ideas like “success.” Clear things like:

• Family time

• Health

• Creative freedom

• Helping kids

• Representing your community

  
  

Circle the top three. Those are your non negotiables.

Anthony Anderson once told a room of young actors about a sitcom he passed on early in his career. “The money looked great,” he said, “but every joke punched at people who looked like my family.” He could picture the paycheck. He could also picture how he would feel playing that part week after week. He walked away. That is a non negotiable in action.

2. Ask Three Sharp Questions Before You Say Yes

When a new project offer shows up, pause. Do not answer on the spot if you can help it. Run it through three quick questions.

Does this project fight or support my top value?

Look back at your circled items. Pick the top one. Ask: will this project support that value or crush it.

If your top value is health and the project demands 18 hour days for months with no breaks, that is a flag. Anderson has talked about how he thinks about his diabetes when he sees a schedule. “I look at a call sheet and ask, where does my body fit in this,” he joked with a producer once. If the answer is nowhere, he thinks twice.

Will I be proud to see my name on this in five years?

Imagine the project is done. You are showing it to a younger cousin, your kid, or a friend. Do you feel proud, neutral, or a little sick.

If the answer is “I hope they never see this,” that is your gut talking. Respect it.

Does this open doors I actually want?

Some projects act like magnets. They attract more of the same. A quick cash job can lock you into a lane you do not want.

Anderson saw this when he started booking broad comedies. He once laughed about a run of offers that made him “the guy who yells and falls down.” The checks were fine. The long term path was not. So he pushed for variety: dramas like The Departed, serious roles on Law & Order, and later producing work on black-ish. He wanted future doors that matched who he was becoming, not only who people thought he was.

3. Use A Simple Scorecard

Feelings matter. So do numbers. Put them together.

Create a quick scorecard for every new project:

• Pay: 1 to 5

• Values fit: 1 to 5

• Growth / learning: 1 to 5

• Schedule impact on life: 1 to 5

• People you get to work with: 1 to 5

Add up the scores. You do not need a perfect system. You just need a clear view.

Maybe a project scores 5 on pay, 1 on values, 2 on growth, 1 on schedule, 2 on people. Total: 11. Another project scores 3 on pay, 5 on values, 4 on growth, 3 on schedule, 4 on people. Total: 19.

The 19 might be the better long game choice, even with lower upfront cash.

4. Watch For Red Flags In The Pitch

How people talk about a project tells you a lot.

Pay attention if:

• Everyone only talks about the money

• No one can explain the real goal

• The script or plan makes you wince

• They shrug off concerns about health or ethics

  
  

Anthony Anderson once sat in a meeting for a proposed show and noticed something odd. “They had a whole slide on ad revenue and no slide on what the show was about,” he told a friend later. He asked about the story. The room went quiet. He passed.

If you bring up values and people roll their eyes, that is your answer.

5. Build A Small “Yes” Budget

You cannot turn down every well paid gig that is not perfect. That is real. This is where a “yes budget” helps.

Decide in advance how many pure money projects you can take in a year. Maybe it is one big one or two small ones. These are the jobs that fund your life and give you room to chase better aligned work.

Mark them clearly in your mind. Do the job. Be professional. Use the money to pay bills or invest in what you care about. Do not let those jobs quietly set your new normal.

Anderson has used this idea with hosting gigs. He has said yes to some shows mainly for the check and exposure, but he pairs them with projects that hit his heart more directly, like his work with youth fields in Compton or health specials tied to diabetes awareness. That mix keeps his career balanced.

6. Find One Value Anchor In Every Project

Sometimes you cannot fully control the content. You can usually control something.

Pick one value anchor you can bring to each project. It might be:

• Mentoring a younger teammate

• Making sure the crew feels seen and respected

• Pushing for one storyline that shows a real issue

• Using your platform from the project to talk about causes you care about

  
  

On black-ish, Anderson had the chance to pull diabetes into a storyline that mirrored his own life. “I wanted Dre to face the same numbers I saw on my chart,” he said to a health group after an episode aired. That one choice turned a comedy into a health conversation without losing the laughs.

7. Check In With Yourself After Each Project

Reflection is free and powerful. After a project wraps, ask three quick questions:

• How did this work make me feel most days

• What part of it matched my values the most

• Would I do something like this again

  
  

Write simple answers in a notebook or notes app. Patterns will show up fast.

If you notice that every high paying job leaves you drained and short with your family, that is useful data. If you see that lower paying but aligned projects bring strong energy and better ideas, that is also useful.

Over time, you will build a clear map of what fits you. That map makes the next “yes” or “no” easier.

Start With One Better Choice

You do not have to flip your whole career in one move. Start with the next offer.

Use the scorecard. Ask the sharp questions. Listen for red flags. Look for a value anchor.

Anthony Anderson’s path shows that it is possible to build a strong career without selling out the things that matter most. He has mixed money jobs with mission jobs, turned down roles that felt wrong, and pushed to weave his real life into his work.

You can do a smaller version of the same thing. The goal is simple. Let your wallet stay healthy without letting it drive every choice. Pick one project this year that fits your values better than the last one. Say yes to it on purpose.