This usually goes along with the second through fifth (and final) levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, but it still helps to do this early in your recovery to give yourself a roadmap to follow. There's also no reason you can't do it at the end too to find out where to go next, or even just every couple months to check in with yourself.

Step 1: Clarify Your Values

There are many places people draw their values from, such as family, religion, and school. There are many different ways that people conceptualize and discuss values as well. Many people with various mental health disorders struggle with their personal identity. Values are a key part of a person's sense of personal identity, so sitting down and really thinking about who you are and who you want to be can make an almost instantaneous difference in the way you see both yourself and the world around you.

There are many different ways to clarify your values. Some are spiritual or cultural, but all I really have to offer here are worksheets. I have a few different types that might appeal to different people for different reasons.

• [[Values - Quiz Style.pdf]] - A multiple-choice ABCD quiz you can calculate at the end. External Link
• [[Values - DBT.pdf]] - Cards you can cut out and put in order and move around as you think. External Link
• [[Values - Narrative Style.pdf]] - for the wordy creatives out there. External Link
• [[Values - DBT.pdf]] - A more organic approach that's a bit of a balance between all three. External Link

However you make your list, narrow it down to 3 core values (5 at the absolute most). If you can't narrow down to 3-5 values, put this aside for now and try again later.

Step 2: Clarify Your Goals

The reason it is important to narrow your values down to 3 or so is so that you can really focus in on creating and pursing goals related to them. So for each core personal value you chose:

1. Create 1 long term goal, and 1 short term goal: You can use SMART Goals for reference. If it was five years from now and you were living that value to it's fullest extent, what would that look like? Then ask yourself what the very first step towards that goal would look like (maybe even within the next week), and that's your first Short-Term Goal. Examples:
   1. Value: Respect / Authority
      1. Possible Long-Term Goal: Be the kind of person people ask for advice.
      2. Possible Short-Term Goal: Start practicing GIVE from the interpersonal effectiveness module.
   2. Value: Beauty / Attractiveness
      1. Possible Long-Term Goal: I want people to envy my style/fashion sense
      2. Possible Short-Term Goal: Start reading about style, fashion, and cosmetology.
   3. Value: Chaos (I told you people get values from all kinds of places)
      1. Possible Long-Term Goal: I want to be a unique and surprising person.
      2. Possible Short-Term Goal: Start learning magic / sleight of hand tricks.

Bonus DLC Values

Some non-traditional values that can be channeled positively if you're mindful about it.

Spite

• Doing better physically, socially, financially, etc than my enemies.
• Proving that my enemies were wrong about and / or underestimated me.
• Living my best life despite my enemies best efforts.
• Being able to forget any effects your enemies have had on you as they fade out of relevance to your life.

Chaos

• Making the world a more interesting place.
• Helping people come up with more and more creative ideas.
• Helping people explore outside of their comfort zones.
• Being a unique and surprising person.