The Centrality of Committed Action

By this point you should have a firm grasp on the need for committed action. We cannot move toward our values or fully engage in our lives without it. The best kind of action is tangible, consistent, and value-centered. 

Let’s take these one at a time. Good action is tangible. When action is tangible it is measurable, which makes it possible for us to see our progress. Tangible action is therefore easier to improve because it’s a real behavior that can be modified as needed. Seeing the results of tangible action can also generate feelings of excitement and progress which can motivate us to continue behaving in positive ways. 

This leads us into the second point, that good action is consistent. As we’ve mentioned before, small dependable efforts take us much further than occasional grand efforts. For example, running 1 mile every day for 30 days will be better for your long-term health than running 30 miles in one day. So long as we are frequently acting in ways that bring us closer to our values, it doesn’t matter quite so much how big those efforts are. Some days you may feel motivated to take big leaps. Other days you may feel strained at the prospect of taking a baby step. Ultimately, the size of your efforts is far less important than how often you make them. 

The last thing to keep in mind is that good action is value-centered. Actions have the power to alter our life trajectories, and if we are not deliberate about the decisions we make, it can be easy to end up far away from the people and things we cherish. As we establish what our values are, write them down, and take action toward them, we will find ourselves much closer to living ‘the full life.’

The ACT Matrix

If you haven’t heard of it yet, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern form of therapy designed to help people take action amidst their challenges. In fact, professionals in the field pronounce ACT the same as the word “act” instead of spelling out the acronym. People have argued that ACT is the therapy that most embodies the principles of positive psychology. 

A popular application strategy of ACT is the “ACT matrix.” This matrix is constructed with the intent to help guide people along the path of action. To design your own matrix, you will first need to create a four quadrant diagram on a piece of paper. Once you have drawn your diagram, begin filling it out by listing your chosen values in the bottom right quadrant (i.e., people, things, principles that are important to you). Move now to the bottom left quadrant where you should create a list of internal experiences that might pull you away from those values (i.e. difficult thoughts or emotions). The top left quadrant is then filled with physical manifestations of the items in the quadrant beneath it (i.e. things you physically do that pull you away from your values). Finally, fill the top right quadrant with a list of actions that draw you closer to your values. At this point, your matrix should look something like this:

After completing the previous steps, try drawing a ladder from the bottom left quadrant into the top right quadrant. This ladder of progress represents the process of engaged living that lifts you out of negative thinking and into committed action. You might even write the words “vulnerability,” “courage,” “wholeheartedness” and “committed action” on the rungs of your ladder. Review your matrix often to remind yourself to act in positive ways and avoid negative habits. 

Psychological Flexibility

Steven Hayes, renowned clinical psychologist and one of the developers of ACT, explains his journey moving away from negative rumination and into committed action.

Psychological flexibility can be understood as a synonym for committed action. Ditte Hoffmann and Lisbeth Frostholm once defined it as, “the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, while choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.” Flexibility is therefore a characteristic of healthy minds and has a number of benefits. For example, whereas lonely people usually have a difficult time feeling gratitude, psychological flexibility can make up the difference and help them feel grateful once again (Frinking et al., 2019). 

Unfortunately, it’s human nature for negativity to flood our thoughts and cloud our perception of reality. As we learn to be flexible and adapt to that negativity, however, our ability to see things clearly is enhanced. Steven Hayes suggests that our minds ask us questions about our reality. The answers we give (and whether they are true or false) is largely dependent on how psychologically flexible we are. The more flexible, the more accurate our interpretations are. 

The road to becoming more psychologically flexible is essentially the same as the road to becoming more committed to action. Vulnerability stretches our hearts and courage stretches our minds in preparation for flexible action. Look at it this way: vulnerability is about making room for painful or uncomfortable experiences so that, instead of running from them, we can resolve them. It then takes courage to satisfy those vulnerable needs: courage to take committed action toward the values that will save us.

One last piece of advice about taking action: watch out for failure. In your many efforts to move toward your values, you will inevitably fail from time to time. Don’t worry about how often you fail, worry instead about how you interpret that failure. In the end, you will be far better off with a growth mindset than with a fixed mindset. These mindsets come from Carol Dweck’s famous theory of mindset. To briefly summarize, people in a fixed mindset interpret failure as an indicator of their worth. When they fail, they take it as a blow to their confidence and do not consider the possibility of improving. Attributes such as intelligence or creativity are fixed in their mind. As a result, people in the fixed mindset rarely take action out of fear that they will fail and be seen as incapable. On the contrary, people in a growth mindset interpret failure as a chance to learn and improve. They believe that attributes are fluid and can therefore be gained or even lost. This fuels their motivation to take action. To them, failure is not a setback, nor are the obstacles that get in their way, for they believe in their ability to grow and overcome those obstacles. For a more in-depth explanation of Dweck’s theory, visit this page in our module on personal growth.

But how do we move from a fixed mindset into a growth mindset? How do we get over the fear of failure? First, we need to know where we stand in the theory of mindset. Ask yourself what failure means to you and then decide whether you have more of a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. Next, consider what mindset you would like to have and make any necessary changes to have a healthier understanding of failure. These changes might include focusing on your effort instead of outcomes, being willing to “fail,” or learning to enjoy stretching yourself. Whenever you notice your mind criticize you in a fixed-mindset kind of way, respond to it with a growth-minded comment. When times get tough, remember that the rewards that come from a growth mindset are well worth the hard work it takes to get there.

Now get out there and start acting! Feel free to ask yourself the following questions to help get you started:

• “What uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, sensations, and urges am I willing to make room for in order to create the life I want?”

• “What’s the best step (however small) that I can take right now in the direction of my values?”