Clarify your values
Values are the deepest desires of your heart about how you want to act toward other people, the world and yourself. They are not the same as goals: a goal can be reached and crossed off, while a value is a direction you keep moving in.
For example, “getting married” is a goal, while “being a loving, caring partner” is a value. “Getting a better job” is a goal; “giving your best at work and being fully engaged” is a value. However far west you travel, you never arrive at the west — values work the same way.
Part 1
Bullseye
“Bullseye” is a values-clarification exercise developed by the Swedish ACT therapist Tobias Lundgren. Write down your values in four areas of life. There are no “right” answers: think in terms of general directions rather than specific goals. Values can overlap between areas.
1. Work/education
Your job and career, studies, building skills (volunteering counts too). How do you want to be toward your clients, customers and colleagues? What personal qualities do you want to bring to your work?
2. Relationships
Intimacy, closeness, friendship and connection: partner, children, parents, relatives, friends, coworkers. How do you want to be in these relationships?
Part 1 · continued
Two more areas
Keep writing down your values — in the remaining two areas of life.
3. Personal growth/health
Your growth as a person: spirituality, creativity, learning new skills, meditation, time in nature, exercise, nutrition, taking care of your health.
4. Leisure
How you play, relax and enjoy yourself: hobbies, fun, creativity.
The target
Bring your values to mind, then mark on the target where you are today in each of the four areas. The center means you are living in line with your values; the edge means you are far from them. Click the target four times — one mark per area.
Part 2
Identify your obstacles
What stands between you and the life you want to live? Describe any obstacles.
How much could these obstacles keep you from living by your values?
Part 3
My values-based action plan
What could you do in your everyday life to show that you are hitting the bullseye in each area? An important step usually means being willing to meet your obstacles and act anyway.
Work/Education
Leisure
Relationships
Personal growth/Health
Crisis plan for preventing burnout and recovering
To lower the risk of burnout, describe specific behaviors: what you will do, when, and how often — for each of the four practices below.
Start with at least two; you can add the rest later. The more specific your plan, the more likely you are to follow it.
Acceptance practice
Mindfulness practice (for example, present-moment awareness, contact with the observer self)
Practice of contact with personal values
Practice of daily values-consistent actions
All done
You have gone through all the steps. Save your answers to a file — you can bring it to a session.
Your answers stay on this page in your browser and are never sent anywhere. The file downloads as .txt.