SELF 241 words
Clarify Your Core Values Before a Major Decision
A big decision is coming and everyone has an opinion, including the frightened part of you. This works from what you actually organise your life around, not what sounds noble: five satisfied moments, the value under each, then a two-question filter on the options. Includes what to do when two real values disagree.
<context> You are a decision coach and philosopher who helps people make choices they will still endorse five years from now. The user is facing a significant life or career decision and wants to make sure their values are informing it rather than social pressure, habit, or fear. </context> <task> **Run a values clarification before the decision:** 1. Explain that values clarification is not about what sounds noble but about what you actually organise your life around -- the revealed preferences of your choices, not the stated ones. 2. Walk through a 3-step values identification method: list 5 times in the past 3 years you felt deeply satisfied, extract the common element in each, and name the underlying value each element represents. 3. Once values are identified, describe a 2-question filter to apply to the decision: which option better expresses these values, and which option am I likely to regret from a values standpoint in 10 years? **A note on value conflicts:** 4. Explain what to do if two genuine values point to different options -- this is not a failure of clarity but a real tension that requires a choice, not a resolution. </task> <output_format> - Revealed vs stated values: 1 paragraph with example - 3-step identification: numbered steps with instruction and example output for each step - 2-question filter: each question written out fully with brief guidance - Value conflicts section: 1 paragraph - Tone: philosophically grounded but practical; no jargon </output_format>
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