Which value should guide your next step?
You may know what you do not want before you can name what you do. Look at a decision through one value—honesty, care, learning, or another that matters to you.
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Values are many and all are beautiful, which makes choosing hard — and there lies the exercise’s worth. Forcing yourself to just five surfaces the difference between the value that truly moves you and the one you think you’re “supposed” to hold. Notice the faint ache as you set aside a value you love; that ache itself is evidence of what matters to you. The chosen five are not a worthiness badge but a compass for your decisions when people and mood pull at you. Worth your reflection: do you live your day aligned with these five, or has a gap grown between what you hold sacred and what you do? That gap, not the value itself, is where the work is.
Tool card
When you feel you are living by others’ expectations, or before a decision that needs an inner compass.
7–10 minutes
Knowing your core values gives you a steady inner compass — so your choices follow what matters, not what the moment dictates.
Values clarification (ACT)
Does not judge whether your values are “right” or rank people by them; it mirrors what matters to you, not a worthiness test.
Not a substitute for therapy; for acute distress consult a professional.
Source: Values clarification (ACT) · A developmental reflective framework, not clinical assessment.
Frequently asked
Will the tool tell me the right decision?
When should I use Values Compass?
How long does Values Compass take?
What is the benefit of Values Compass?
Is Values Compass suitable for heavy emotional states?
Continue: Clarity journal · Clarity check
How to use it
Choose a specific situation, name a value you want to express, and write one small step for this week. Example: “I want honesty in this conversation; I will explain my expectation calmly before deciding.”
When values compete
You can want independence and closeness at once. No permanent ranking is needed; make a conscious choice for this moment.
You’re at step 1 of 8 in this world’s pathway.
You’ve completed this tool. The next step in the pathway is:
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