Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) often uses the “Life Compass” exercise to help people align daily actions with their deepest values. Think of it as creating your own internal GPS so you know where you’re going and why 🌟. 🌿What It Is: The Life Compass exercise is a guided reflection that helps you identify your core values across different life areas (relationships, work, health, learning, spirituality, fun, and community). By clarifying what truly matters, you can steer your life intentionally rather than drift on autopilot. I do a similar exercise using the "wheel of life" to help assess my level of satisfaction in each area, my level of engagement in each area, and also what I can do differently to feel more fulfilled! :) 📝 How to Do It 1. Map Your Life Areas: Draw a circle or a compass with sections for family, friendships, career, health, leisure, spirituality, growth, and community. (The pdf has a fill in the blank version of something similar) 2. Identify Core Values: For each area, write down words that describe what matters most. Examples: kindness, growth, connection, creativity, adventure. You can also write down how you're showing up in these areas or how you'd like to show up! 3. Rate Your Alignment: On a scale of 1–10, rate how closely your current actions align with each value. This is an important step. Our bodies often cue us in when there's a lack of alignment. Something feels "not quite right". Notice where you feel most fulfilled and where there is room for growth. 4. Choose Small Actions: Pick one or two areas where you want to take action this week. For example, if “health” is important, your small action might be adding a 10-minute daily walk. 5. Review and Adjust: Revisit your Life Compass every few weeks to see if you’re on course or if you need to adjust. 🌱 Why It Works This exercise increases psychological flexibility, a core goal of ACT. When our choices reflect our values, we feel more grounded, resilient, and purposeful even when life gets difficult. There's a level of attunement that takes place that gives us a sense of inner peace even if the external world is chaotic.

We all hit moments where life feels like it’s on pause. Feeling stuck can affect your motivation, mood, and sense of purpose. That feeling of discomfort? Might be worth leaning into and seeing what it's trying to tell you! The good news is there are strategies to regain momentum and clarity. 1. Reflect and Journal 📝 - Write down your thoughts, feelings, and current challenges. - Notice your mindset and how this may be blocking movement--how can you shift it? - Identify patterns and recurring obstacles--are there themes that keep coming up? - Journaling helps externalize your thoughts and gain perspective . It can also help slow down the thought process and potentially gain more clarity as a result! 2. Break Goals into Micro-Steps 🎯 - Large goals can feel overwhelming. Break them into small, actionable steps. - Focus on completing one small task today. Progress compounds over time. I love the 1% rule--just a little step each day can have compound effects over time! 3. Reevaluate Your Values and Priorities 💎 - Ask yourself: What matters most to me? Are my current activities aligned with my core values? Is there a level of dissonance that's happening within---what do I say that I want/need vs. how do my actions show this? - Realignment can create motivation and a renewed sense of purpose 4. Experiment and Explore 🌍 - Try new experiences, hobbies, or learning opportunities. - Exposure to new perspectives can spark creativity and energy 5. Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion 🧘 - Mindfulness helps notice mental blocks without judgment. - Self-compassion reduces self-criticism, which often amplifies the feeling of being stuck . If the critical voice comes up, maybe ask it, "What is it that you're really trying to tell me underneath all of this? What good are you wanting for me?" (just because something comes across negative, doesn'tmean that it's intent is negative) 6. Seek Support 🤝 - Talk with trusted friends, mentors, or a therapist. - Sometimes external perspective helps identify options and solutions that aren’t obvious from the inside.

"A bird in a cage is safe, but God didn't create birds for that" - Paulo Coelho Sometimes we get used to the cages that we've built around ourselves. Thinking that there's security in them. Avoiding any risk at all costs because there's a level of comfort in the known. The unknown can be terrifying. Sometimes comfort doesn't mean safetyor security though and it can actually be detrimental. Growth often comes from either 1)challenges that have come upon us without our permission and how we decide to engage those challenges or 2) challenges that we decide to take on ourselves. Question to ponder: What is a recent risk that you took that ended up paying off?

“All that is gold does not glitter. Not All Who Wander Are Lost” This quote (from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings) reminds us that exploring, questioning, or taking a non-traditional path doesn’t mean being directionless. - 🌱 Wandering can mean growth, discovery, and seeking deeper meaning. - 🧭 It’s about trusting the journey—even if it looks different from what others expect. - 🚶 Sometimes the best paths are the ones we find along the way, not the ones mapped out for us. ---Below is also a mind mapping worksheet that can help with exploring thoughts and visually organizing thoughts around a topic...Wandering towards clarity :) 💭Question worth pondering: What “wandering” moments in your life have actually led you closer to purpose?