Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for decision-making and provides direction when decision-making removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Decision-Making
Decision-Making often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when decision-making has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult decision-making periods
- A basis for action independent of how decision-making makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Decision-Making
Ask yourself: 'If my decision-making 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 Decision-Making
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when decision-making is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite decision-making, are more sustainable than waiting for decision-making to lift first.