Welcome to Your Values Compass! This tool helps you explore your personal values and set meaningful goals based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles.
In this single session, you will:
Note: Your progress in this tool is only kept during your current visit. Closing the page will clear your entries. Please use the Save as PDF option at the end to keep your plan.
Values are your chosen life directions . Think of them as ongoing qualities of action, like being compassionate, creative, or connected.
They differ from goals . Goals are destinations you can reach (like finishing a project), while values describe *how* you want to act along the way (like acting with diligence or collaboration).
Living by your chosen values adds meaning and vitality , especially when facing life's inevitable challenges.
Values: Chosen directions (e.g., Connection).
Goals: Specific actions serving values (e.g., Call a friend this week).
Committed Action: Taking those steps willingly, even if challenging.
Values: How you want to behave ongoingly (e.g., being supportive, curious, courageous). They are like compass directions – you never fully "arrive."
Goals: What specific outcomes or accomplishments you want to achieve (e.g., finish a report, run a 5k, have a difficult conversation). They are destinations you can reach.
Think of it this way: If your value is "Learning," a goal might be "Read one chapter of a non-fiction book this week." The goal helps you move in the direction of your value.
Values: We choose them based on what's important to us. They guide our actions (e.g., Choosing to act with Courage).
Feelings & Thoughts: They often arise automatically based on situations or past experiences (e.g., feeling anxious, having the thought "I might fail"). We don't choose them directly.
The ACT Idea: You can choose to act in line with your values (like speaking up, even if it's valued Courage) *even while* uncomfortable feelings (like anxiety) or unhelpful thoughts ("They won't like this") are present. We learn to make space for these inner experiences rather than letting them dictate our behavior.
Acceptance in ACT means willingly making room for uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, sensations, or urges, *without* struggling against them or letting them stop you from doing what matters (your valued actions).
It's not about liking or wanting these experiences, but about allowing them to be present so you can focus your energy on moving towards your values.
Example: Feeling anxious before a presentation (feeling). Acceptance involves noticing the anxiety, breathing with it, and still giving the presentation (valued action related to Contribution or Growth) rather than avoiding it.
Defusion means learning to see thoughts *as just thoughts* – words or images passing through your mind – rather than absolute truths or commands you must obey.
When we're "fused" with a thought (e.g., "I'm not good enough"), we treat it as reality. Defusion helps create space, allowing us to observe the thought without getting entangled in it.
Techniques include: thanking your mind for the thought, noticing "I'm having the thought that...", or visualizing thoughts floating by like leaves on a stream.
This is about taking concrete steps – setting goals and acting – in ways that are consistent with your chosen values.
It involves behaving like the person you want to be, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable. It's about *doing* what matters.
Goals in ACT are often framed as specific, value-driven behaviors (e.g., "To move towards my value of Connection, I will call my sister for 15 minutes on Saturday").
Ready to explore what matters most to you right now?
Consider different areas of your life. What ways of being feel genuinely important to you *right now*? Select values that resonate using the cards below. You can also add your own custom values.
Use the optional reflection space in each section to jot down why a domain or specific values within it feel significant currently.
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This personal definition helps make the value more concrete. It's just for this session.
Keep it relatively brief and action-oriented if possible.
Now, let's turn your chosen values into concrete actions (Committed Actions). For each value you prioritized, add one or more specific goals – actions you can take to live that value.
Make your goals SMART-ish: Specific, Measurable (or observable), Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound (or scheduled).
Difficult thoughts ("I can't do this," "It's pointless") and feelings (anxiety, fatigue, frustration) often show up when pursuing what matters. Here are some ACT-inspired ways to respond skillfully:
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Here's your complete values-based action plan for this session. Review your values, reflections, and goals. Use the reflection questions below to check if this feels like a meaningful and workable direction for now.
Important: Remember to save this plan using the button below to keep it, as it won't be saved after you close this page.
This plan is a living document. Life changes, and so can your plan. The aim isn't perfection, but rather mindful, values-guided action, one step at a time. Be kind to yourself through the process!
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Generating your final plan...
Which one or two actions feel most important or achievable to start with soon (e.g., today or this week)? Checking these helps clarify your immediate focus and builds momentum. These will be highlighted on your plan.
No goals defined yet.