Value Compass Worksheet: Fill & Download for Free

Making a decision on to focus on your big idea can be daunting. A great technique for decision-making is to define your values and ask yourself the tough questions related to those values to ensure you're redirecting your focus to what's important.This practice I’m sharing with you will alleviate the second-guessing, stalling or even avoidance of making decisions so that you’re left with a process that moves you and the decision forward. Once made, you will feel a sense of peace. I want you to say with confidence, “I know I made the right decision for me” after learning how to apply this strategy. Take notice of the underlined words in the previous statement.Here’s an simple example of a workflow for making decisions:Decide it’s time to make the decision (sounds ironic, but this is the first step)Gather information, research and interview others as your sounding board for ideasGive thought by weighing options, testing scenarios, pros vs. consAllow time to lapse as in “I’ll sleep on it”Gather courage to make and declare the decision to yourselfAct upon the decision and new pathIn your situation, it may be helpful to also use your personal values as a inner compass can take decision-making to another level. What personal values do you stand for?If you were confident the decision satisfied what you value (each of those concepts and the meaning associated with them), how could you make a poor choice?I'd be happy to share with you some preparation worksheets from my personal library that further illustrate this approach.

This list is not describing anyone in particular. It also does not mean one person possesses all these traits or behaviors. It's a list of things I think of when wanting a great counselor and what they might miss. I've done some of these, and grew with experience and humility. I think everyone starts somewhere and time and practice are always a good thing. I wrote this thinking about elementary school counselors.Hide away in their office, neglecting the relationship with the school and student population. (Offering workshops to the school can help reduce the need for counseling. It creates a community of compassion and prevention.)Confuse school counseling for therapy.Ignore building relationships with parents and teachers.Not understand diversity and its impact on learning and access to resources.Unfamiliar with suicide protocol. (This is something I don't expect most new counselors to know. It's just comes with experience and consultation.)Lack of knowledge on learning disabilities, giftedness and neurodiversity.Not having awareness of community resources to refer out effectively.Spending too much of your own money on counseling tools and games.Buying too many supplies and only using the same ones again and again. If a pack of cards, paper and crayons work for you, there’s no need to spend hundreds on fancy “counseling interventions".Working for agencies for free, indirectly draining yourself and taking away energy from being more effective at your work.Being overconfident and not asking for consultation or receiving feedback poorly. There is so much you do not know, and being open to perspective will help you become a better counselor.Procrastinating with documentation. To be fair, I think this lasts a while lol not just first year counselors.Not understanding nonverbal communication and making kids do worksheets all the time.Not understanding the importance of play and metaphor in children's lives. Not using play as an intervention or any of connecting with students.Acting arrogant and “smarter" than people you speak with. Not learning how to speak the language and value the culture of your students and school.Not observing on the playground and classroom to gather information about social emotional settings and daily interactions.Asking nonstop questions without giving students tangible skills to use at home and in school.

“What's the difference between a DNR and a living will?”DNR stands for Do Not Resuscitate. In other words, no CPR, no life-saving measures. That’s it. It does NOT address anything else.A Living Will can address all sorts of other things:Do you want treatment at a religious hospital?If you cannot eat/drink on your own, do you want to be fed and/or hydrated via IV?Do you want a religious figure to give you Last Rites? If so, who?Who do you want to be in charge of making decisions if you can’t?Do you want pain-relievers if you are unconscious & in pain?Do you want experimental drugs used if possible?Do you want “Assisted Suicide” (if you can’t speak to say so)?But it’s not just about death!A Living Will can contain riders that cover what you want done in regards to an Assisted Living Facility or Hospice.What happens if you get Dementia.Who can visit you in the hospital.One of the BEST resources that I have found for making a Living Will is Compassion & Choices. Compassion & Choices Home | Compassion & ChoicesThere you will not only find a Living Will to fill out, but also:A Gentle Death: A Letter to My DoctorDirective Sectarian HealthcareDoc2Doc FlyerEnd-of-Life OptionsEnd of Life Care Fact SheetHow to Interview a HospiceHow to Talk to your Doctor about your End of Life OptionsGood to Go Resource GuideGood to Go ToolkitMy Particular WishesPatient NotebookValues WorksheetYour Life, Your PrioritiesThese are awesome resources and will be an excellent guide for anyone needing to better understand their End-of Life options (religious or not).