Values clarification: what matters most to you?

Identify 3–5 core values — not what you should value, but what actually matters when life is stripped back.

Why it works

Action guided by clearly articulated personal values is more persistent under difficulty than action guided by external demands or goals, because values are intrinsically motivating rather than instrumentally motivating. Self-determination theory research confirms that intrinsic motivation (rooted in what matters to the person) predicts greater effort, wellbeing, and resilience under setbacks. ACT adds that this works even in the presence of difficult emotions — you don’t need to feel good to move toward what matters.

How to do it

1. Ask: "If I had unlimited time and energy, what would I spend my life doing and being?"
2. Ask: "What do I want people to say about how I lived, not what I achieved?"
3. List 5–10 candidate values; then narrow to 3–5 that resonate most deeply.
4. For each, write one sentence describing what living this value looks like in a typical Tuesday.
5. Do NOT list values you feel you should have — only those that feel true.

Evidence

Values clarification is a core ACT component. Meta-analyses of ACT find consistent effects across diagnostic categories. Self-determination theory, which overlaps with the intrinsic-motivation mechanism, has extensive empirical support. (clinical)

Identifying values is an initial step; research shows that values without committed action change little. The clinical benefit emerges from values-guided behavior, not values identification alone.

Sources

• Deci & Ryan (2000), self-determination theory, Psychological Inquiry
• Hayes et al. (2006), ACT model, Behaviour Research and Therapy

Common mistake

Writing virtuous-sounding values ("integrity," "success") that are aspirational rather than genuinely operative — then building plans around a self-image rather than the actual motivational compass.