What does it mean to be values driven?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – ACT has six main components. I find that I begin using ACT with clients on the hub of “values.”

Why do I find this a good place to start? Well, for me, beginning with “values” leads quite easily then to setting goals, referred to in ACT as “committed action” and then examining the limiting thoughts “fusion” that stop us from reaching our goals. Additionally we then explore “acceptance” as a way to counter “experiential avoidance”. We learn to be present in the moment, and to see life from an observer point of view, “self as context.”

I’ll write another post about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy that better explains the six processes. 

Values are how we order ourives to have meaning. Values give our life meaning. In ACT values set the course of our lives and “committed action” moves us along those values. It is important to understand that values are not rules for our lives; they are freely chosen. And as people who belong to faith communities find, they often adopt the values of their faith, and still they are freely chosen. We work best when we have a compass to guide us along our lives, to help us make choices – and values can be those compasses. 

Some common values are:

achievement, dependability, enthusiasm, loyalty, making a difference, originality, passion, reliability, resourcefulness, trustworthiness, uniqueness

For more ideas, visit CMU My Self Values exercise (PDF.)

I’m going to describe a common way that ACT explains values and committed action. So say I have the value of “Going West.” Well, for all of my life, I am going to be driven by that value. So I live in Atlanta, Georgia and decide to live out my value of “Going West” I will go to St. Louis, MS – am I as far west as I can go? Of course not! So, maybe the next time I choose to go to the Grand Canyon. I am pretty far west compared to Atlanta, GA but am I as far west as I can go? No. So I plan on going to San Diego? Nope, there is more to going west. But now, I have to find another way to go to, let’s say Hawaii. I have to fly or find a ship (ok, you can be very inventive here) but even when I get to Hawaii, Korea, Poland, Norway, and end up in New York, I can still go west. 

The point of this little exercise is to illustrate that my value will never be complete. I will never want to stop “making a difference” if that is a core value to me. To live a satisfying life then I will need to continue to set goals / design committed actions to let me continue on my journey.