Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for career and provides direction when career removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Career
Career often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when career has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult career periods
- A basis for action independent of how career makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Career
Ask yourself: 'If my career were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Career
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when career is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite career, are more sustainable than waiting for career to lift first.