Values in ACT: A Simple Clarification Exercise

I’m going to invite you to do a simple values clarification exercise. Please find yourself in a calm, safe seating position and take a nice, clean, deep breath. And as you exhale, close your eyes. I would like to invite you to imagine yourself a few years from now. And an organization that you care about, work, school, a charity, an organization that you care about has selected you to win a lifetime achievement award from that group. This group represents what you are passionate about during your life. And you’ve dedicated your actions and time in the similar service that they provide. This could be a sports team or an alumnus group, your workplace, even your family. Several years from now, you are going to get a lifetime achievement award. You’re going to go to a banquet hall and your friends and family are going to be there. And people will be dressed up and people will be sitting at round tables and they’ll serve a nice dinner. And then after the meal, someone’s going to get up on stage and stand behind a podium and bestow this lifetime achievement award on you. But they’re going to say a few words prior to giving you the award. They’re going to make a speech. What would you like this person to say about you? What do you want them to say during this lifetime achievement award speech about the things that were important to you? What was meaningful, what was purposeful in your life? What were you passionate about? What did you care about so much that you dedicated your time and your efforts towards these values? If you won a lifetime achievement award several years from now and someone’s making a speech about you, what do you want them to say about you? As you’re running these values and words through your mind, go ahead and take another nice, clean, deep breath. And when you exhale, open your eyes.

And find paper and pen and start to write down what these important values are and see if you can remind yourself of these personally meaningful words to help guide you when you’re making difficult decisions or when you’re feeling less motivated. Clarifying your values can help you move forward on important committed actions in your life.