Review the bullseye weekly to track real movement
Re-mark each domain every week and compare — small outward or inward shifts are your feedback loop.
Why it works
Without a feedback loop, values work can feel like an endless aspiration rather than a measurable practice. The weekly re-marking creates a behavioral feedback loop: movements inward are immediately reinforcing (evidence the practice works), and movements outward are diagnostic (signal that the action or frequency needs adjustment). This transforms the bullseye from a one-off assessment into a living instrument that changes behavior over time.
How to do it
- Set a fixed weekly time to re-mark all four domains (same day and time each week for reliability).
- Compare this week’s marks to last week’s — note changes, even small ones.
- Ask: "What did I do differently in domains that moved inward? What is missing in domains that moved outward?"
- Update the committed action for the coming week based on what you learn.
Evidence
Behavioral self-monitoring is one of the most consistently supported behavior-change techniques across health, productivity, and clinical domains; the bullseye provides a structured, values-linked self-monitoring format. (observational)
General self-monitoring evidence is strong; the specific weekly bullseye format has not been separately trialed outside broader ACT protocols.
Sources
- Michie et al. (2009), behavior change techniques review, Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Common mistake
Only doing the review when things are going badly, which turns it into a problem-analysis rather than a living practice. The review is most useful when things are going well too — that is how you see what is working.
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More practices for Values Bullseye, Made Practical
- Map your values across the four life domains
Write one core value statement for each domain — work, relationships, personal growth, leisure — before touching the bullseye.
- Rate your current position in each domain
Mark on each domain’s bullseye how closely your recent behavior has matched the value — honestly.
- Choose one domain to move toward the bullseye this week
Pick the domain where a small move would matter most — not the most important one in the abstract.
- Turn the chosen domain into a committed action
Convert the domain insight into a concrete, timed, values-linked behavior — not a vague intention.
- Use the bullseye to resolve competing values
When two values pull in different directions, the bullseye shows you which domain is most neglected and most in need of attention.
Related concepts
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Made Practical
The core ACT processes, the mechanisms behind them, and an honest read on the evidence
- Committed Action, Made Practical
The practices that turn values from intentions into a lived life
- Values Clarification, Made Practical
Card sorts, ranking, and value-consistent action — with an honest read on the evidence