You Don’t Have to Believe Every Thought to Act on Your Values
Your brain will offer self-doubt, perfectionism, and “not ready yet” thoughts forever. Acting on your values isn’t about getting rid of those thoughts — it’s about noticing them and moving anyway. Here’s how to do that, ACT-style.
There’s a sneaky belief a lot of us carry:
“I’ll take action when I feel confident / ready / clear.”
But if you’ve ever tried to create something, share your work, start a routine, or make a life change… you already know: the “ready” feeling is unreliable. Some days it shows up. Some days it doesn’t. Meanwhile, life is happening.
This is why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is so helpful. At its heart it says:
You don’t have to believe every thought to act on your values.
In other words: thoughts are allowed to be noisy, and you are still allowed to live the life you care about.
Let’s make that practical.
Thoughts vs values
Thoughts are mental events — stories, memories, self-criticism, old protective patterns. They’re temporary and often automatic.
Values are directions — the kind of person you want to be, what matters to you, how you want to show up.
Thoughts: “This isn’t good enough.” “You’re behind.” “People will judge you.”
Values: “I want to serve.” “I want to create.” “I want to care for my body.” “I want to be present with my people.”
ACT says: let thoughts be thoughts and keep moving toward values.
The 3-step flow (notice → name → choose)
You can teach this to yourself in under a minute.
1. Notice
Catch the thought as a thought, not as truth.
“I’m having the thought that this isn’t good enough.”
“I’m noticing fear about being seen.”
“My brain is offering me perfectionism again.”
That tiny “I’m having the thought…” creates space. You’re the observer again.
2. Name
Label the pattern so it loses power.
“That’s my old all-or-nothing voice.”
“That’s comparison.”
“That’s the part of me that wants to avoid discomfort.”
Naming it stops the spiral from becoming your identity.
3. Choose
Ask: “What would my values want me to do right now?”
Then do the smallest version of that.
Value: connection → action: send the message.
Value: creativity → action: write 150 words.
Value: wellbeing → action: go for a 10-minute walk.
Value: service → action: publish the post / share the resource.
The thought doesn’t have to leave first. You just don’t let it drive.
“But it still feels uncomfortable…”
Yes. Acting from values doesn’t always feel good in the moment. Sometimes it feels very “I’m doing a brave thing with a noisy brain.” That’s normal.
Two things to remember:
Discomfort ≠ wrong.
Often it’s just your nervous system doing “new = unknown.”Discomfort shrinks with repetition.
The more you act from values, the more your brain learns:
“Oh, we can do this and survive.”
So we’re not waiting for silence. We’re practising with the volume on.
A few common thought traps (and value moves)
Thought: “If I can’t do it properly, I shouldn’t start.”
Value move: “Do 10 minutes so I stay in relationship with this.”Thought: “People will think this is basic.”
Value move: “Share it anyway because I value helping the people who are here.”Thought: “I’m too inconsistent.”
Value move: “I return once today. Returning is consistency.”Thought: “I don’t feel like it.”
Value move: “I don’t have to feel like it to do 5 minutes.”
See the pattern? Thoughts talk about worth. Values talk about direction.
Why this matters after all the mindset work
If you’ve been doing CBT, perfectionism work, self-compassion, and nervous-system regulation, this is the next layer. You can now see your patterns. You can soothe your system. Now you practise acting even when the pattern is still talking.
That’s how things actually change — not because your brain became perfectly positive, but because you stopped letting every thought be a reason to pause your life.
You are not your thoughts. You’re the person deciding what to do with them.
Notice. Name. Choose in the direction of your values — even if it’s the tiniest step.
If you’d like simple, nervous-system-friendly prompts to pair with this, join the free Mindful Moments Challenge — short practices to come back to yourself so acting from values feels safer, not scarier.
