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