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