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Finding what is important to you

Our values in life are not the same as our goals. In ACT, the values we have inform our sense of life’s purpose of life. Our values are like a compass while our goals are like a map. Our goals are the destinations we mark on the map, but it is our values that provide the compass-bearing. It is the direction we follow: our values help us reach our goals.

We may have many values, but identifying them can be hard. It may be helpful to think about the following questions:

  • What do you really want most?
  • What matters to you?
  • What do you stand for?
  • What gives you meaning or purpose?
  • What do you need to maintain your values (e.g. social networks or financial resources)?
Finding what is important to you

Another technique that may help is to write down your values in four areas:

  • Work and education
  • Relationships
  • Health and personal growth
  • Leisure

You can then consider how close you are living to those values. These can be written as a dart board, and an exercise on The Happiness Trap can help you do this.

If you feel that your values need to change, be compassionate to yourself. Changing values can take time and often don’t happen overnight.

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Connecting with the here and now Opening up to your thoughts and feelings Finding what is important to you Taking action Connecting with the here and now Opening up to your thoughts and feelings Finding what is important to you Taking action