Use the someday list as a values barometer

What you keep adding to the someday list — and what you keep not doing — reveals what you actually value versus what you think you value.

Why it works

Revealed preference (what we actually choose over time) is a more accurate indicator of values than stated preference (what we say we value). The someday list makes revealed preference visible: items that are repeatedly added but never activated, and items that activate quickly despite long deferral, both carry information about genuine motivation. Treating the list as a values instrument adds a layer of self-knowledge beyond simple task management.

How to do it

1. At each annual review, categorize your someday items: "always added, never done," "added and activated quickly," "never added but doing."
2. The first category likely reflects identity aspiration rather than genuine desire.
3. The third category may reveal genuine values not yet named.
4. Revise your stated values in light of what the revealed pattern shows.

Evidence

Revealed versus stated preference is a foundational distinction in behavioral economics and motivation research; actual behavior over time predicts values more reliably than self-report. (mechanistic)

The values-barometer application is a practitioner inference; using task activation patterns as values evidence is reasonable inference, not a studied method.

Common mistake

Defending the self-image held in the someday list against the evidence of the activation pattern — the list says who you think you want to be; the activation pattern says who you are.