🧭 The Values Compass

You make hundreds of decisions every day. Yet you probably agonize over the ones that should be simplest.

I bet you've felt it too. That frustrating moment when a decision that should be straightforward leaves you paralyzed with doubt. That promotion might advance your career but reduce family time. That project might be exciting but financially risky.

The conventional wisdom says you just need more information. More pros and cons lists. More data points.

But what if that's exactly wrong?

Most decision frameworks focus on optimizing outcomes. They assume more information leads to better choices. They're wrong.¹

I've found that when decisions feel difficult, it's rarely about insufficient information. It's because they're disconnected from what truly matters to you.

⸻

🔄 The Values Compass: A Framework for Value-Aligned Decisions

Think about the last difficult choice you faced. Did you find yourself going in circles, weighing options without making progress?

What you needed wasn't just clarity about options, but clarity about direction. The Values Compass provides that orientation through four cardinal points that connect your decisions to your core values.

At its heart, this framework transforms your difficult decisions from "What should I do?" to "Who am I becoming through this choice?"

This shift isn't just philosophical—it's practical. Research shows that decisions aligned with your personal values lead to greater psychological well-being and reduced decision regret, even when outcomes aren't ideal.²

⸻

💡 The Paradox of Choice Values

Before I share the framework, let's address a tension you've probably experienced:

You want your decisions to reflect your values. But do you really know what your values truly are?

You believe values should simplify decisions. Yet you've seen your own values conflict with each other.

I've struggled with this too. It's the central paradox of values-based decision making: the very tool meant to clarify our choices can itself feel unclear.

Here's the breakthrough: values aren't static statements to recite, but dynamic directions to follow. The Values Compass works because it treats your values as ongoing commitments rather than fixed positions.

⸻

1. North: Clarify Core Values

You probably believe you know your values. Most of us do. But under pressure, have you noticed how hard it becomes to articulate them clearly enough to guide your decisions?

Your core values aren't aspirational statements you'd put on a corporate wall. They're the principles that consistently guide your best decisions—not the ones you wish you had, but the ones that already drive your most fulfilling actions.

To identify them, look for patterns in your own life:

• Which experiences have felt most meaningful to you?

• What do you consistently prioritize when your resources are limited?

• What factors make you feel genuine pride rather than just satisfaction?

Here's a distinction that changed everything for me: the difference between means values and ends values. "Growth" might matter to you because it leads to "Contribution" (an ends value). "Achievement" might be in service of "Freedom" or "Security."

Research in axiology (the study of values) shows that most people can identify 3-5 core "ends values" that remain relatively stable throughout adulthood.³ These become your internal compass points.

Common obstacle I've seen: Many of us confuse socially desirable values with personal ones. Your true values aren't what sounds good to others; they're what consistently guides your most satisfying choices.

⸻

2. East: Map Decision Landscape

With your values clarified, it's time to map the territory of your decision without judgment.

I want you to articulate all available options—including those that feel uncomfortable or unlikely. For each option, identify:

• What this path prioritizes and sacrifices

• The short and long-term implications

• The underlying assumptions

The power comes from naming the tensions between options explicitly. One path might maximize security while another maximizes freedom. One choice might emphasize connection while another emphasizes achievement.

I've seen this clarity prevent the common trap of trying to optimize for everything simultaneously—a guaranteed path to decision paralysis.

⸻

3. South: Test Alignment

Now comes the heart of the framework, where I want you to test how each option aligns with your core values.

For each path you've mapped:

1. Rate how well it supports each of your core values (1-10)

2. Notice which options create internal resistance (your body often knows before your mind)

3. Apply the future-self perspective: "In 10 years, which choice would I be grateful for making?"

The alignment test works because it transcends your short-term emotions and logical loops by connecting decisions to your deeper identity.

Listen carefully to your internal resistance. I've found that if a choice looks perfect on paper but feels wrong to you, there's often a value conflict you haven't articulated yet.

This bodily awareness isn't just intuition—it's backed by research on somatic markers—physiological signals that guide decision-making before conscious reasoning catches up.⁴

I've been there too: Value conflicts are inevitable and healthy. The goal isn't to eliminate tensions but to make them conscious. Often, conflicts aren't between different values but between immediate vs. long-term expressions of the same value.

⸻

4. West: Integrate Wisdom

The final direction is where your compass guides you home. Integration means making values-aligned commitments, not just decisions.

To integrate your insights:

1. Choose the path most aligned with your core values, acknowledging the inevitable tradeoffs

2. Identify one small, concrete next step to move forward

3. Extract a principle from this decision to guide similar choices in the future

I've seen integration transform isolated decisions into a coherent life narrative where each choice builds on previous ones.

This narrative coherence doesn't just feel good—it creates what psychologists call "eudaimonic well-being," a sense of purpose and meaning that transcends momentary happiness.⁵

This extracted principle becomes part of your ongoing values compass, making your future decisions more fluid.

⸻

🧪 Implementation: Making It Real

Let me get practical about how you can navigate your Values Compass starting today:

1. Start by investing time to identify your actual 3-5 core values (I've included an exercise below)

2. For your next significant decision, map all options without premature judgment

3. Test each option's alignment with your core values

4. Note where alignment exists and where tension occurs

5. Choose the path that best supports your most essential values

6. Extract a principle to guide similar decisions in the future

Remember: Perfect alignment is rarely possible. The goal is conscious choice based on what matters most to you, not elimination of all tradeoffs.

Value Identification Exercise I use regularly: Think of 3-5 peak experiences in your life—moments when you felt most alive, fulfilled, and aligned. What values were being honored in those moments? Look for patterns across these experiences to identify your core values.

⸻

🔗 Connecting to Previous Frameworks

I designed The Values Compass to build upon the mental models I've shared with you:

• Use The Clarity Loop (Issue 01) to gain initial perspective on your decision. The "Pause" step creates space for values reflection before action.

• Apply The Distance Technique (Issue 02) when examining values alignment. Ask yourself: "What would I advise a friend with these same values facing this decision?"

• Build consistent values checking into your routine with The Habit Bridge (Issue 03). Design triggers that prompt you to consult your values before major decisions.

Your values provide the foundation that makes all other frameworks more effective. Without them, even the best mental models can lead you efficiently in the wrong direction.

⸻

📝 Try It Now

I'd love for you to take five minutes to reflect on a decision you're currently facing:

1. What are the 2-3 core values that should guide this choice? (Examples: Connection, Growth, Security, Freedom, Contribution, Authenticity)

2. How do your available options align or conflict with these values?

3. Which option best supports the person you want to become?

Even this brief reflection can create surprising clarity around decisions that previously felt confusing to you.

⸻

Let me share something I've observed in my own life: When we disconnect decisions from values, we create fragmented lives where our choices don't build coherently toward meaningful ends.

The Values Compass doesn't just help with your individual decisions—it helps you craft a consistent life story where each choice reinforces who you are becoming.

I'd love to hear which values form your compass points. Hit reply and let me know what you discover—or where you're getting stuck. Your experiences might help shape future issues.

Next time, I'll share how to apply systematic creativity techniques to break through mental barriers when facing complex problems.

Until next time.

– Atomic & Matter

1  : Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995-1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995

2  : Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Be careful what you wish for: Optimal functioning and the relative attainment of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. In P. Schmuck & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.), Life goals and well-being: Towards a positive psychology of human striving (pp. 116–131). Hogrefe & Huber Publishers.

3  : Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1116

4  : Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam Publishing.

5  : Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. H. (2008). Know thyself and become what you are: A eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(1), 13-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9019-0