This template has been refined. You find the leaner version below
- ❣ EMOTIONS TO 🌳 VALUES
- Step 1.1.) Recall a recent emotional situation
- Step 1.2.) Identify the emotion and its immediate cause
- Step 1.3.) Explore the value behind the emotion through questions
- Step 1.4.) Name your value
- Step 1.5.) Clarify your value
- 👣HARD STEPS
- Step 2.1.) Come up with potential Hard Steps
- Step 2.2.) Screen and Pick
- Step 2.3.) Refine and Final Check
- ⚙STRUCTURAL FEATURES - That make this value easier in
- 🎸SPACE JAM
- Step 4.1.) Frame the game
- Step 4.2.) (Simple) Instructions
- Step 4.3.) Design Materials
- 🎸JAMTIME
❣ EMOTIONS TO 🌳 VALUES
Step 1.1.) Recall a recent emotional situation
To begin with harvesting your own emotions, step back into your memory. Pick a situation you experienced in the past weeks that felt challenging and that stuck with you. This worksheet is most interesting to go through for a situation that brought up challenging emotions that are linked to the situation itself more than to previous trauma. Here are some questions to help you flesh out your memory.
Where were you? With whom? What happened? What emotions came up? How did they manifest in your body?
Step 1.2.) Identify the emotion and its immediate cause
As you have identified different emotions that came up, decide on the one that was most clear and present. Think about the immediate cause of the emotion.
Write down your emotion and its immediate cause.
I felt ___________________ because____________________________________________________________.
Step 1.3.) Explore the value behind the emotion through questions
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is blocked?
What way of being has no space here?
Take Notes:
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is blocked?
What way of being is not safe to emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is blocked?
What way of being is not safe to emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is threatened?
What way of being can you not bear to give up on?
Take Notes:
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is threatened?
What way of being can you not bear to give up on?
Take Notes:
What's worth protecting?
What way of living is threatened?
Take Notes:
What's worth recovering?
What way of living is overridden?
What value did you fail to live by?
Take Notes:
What's worth recovering?
What way of living did you neglect?
Take Notes:
What's worth recovering?
What way of living did you neglect?
What did you fail to prioritise?
Take Notes:
What's worth recovering?
What way of living did you give up on?
What do you no longer trust yourself with?
Take Notes:
What's worth honoring?
What way of living is lost for now?
What way of living has become impossible?
Take Notes:
What is worth protecting?
What way of living is violated?
Take Notes:
What's worth recovering?
What way of living is estranged?
Take Notes:
What is worth protecting?
What way of living is violated?
Take Notes:
What is worth protecting?
What way of living is violated?
Take Notes:
What's worth honoring?
What way of living is lost for now?
What way of living has become impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth honoring?
What way of living is lost for now?
What way of living has become impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth honoring?
What way of living is lost for now?
What way of living has become impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth recentering around?
What way of living is out of focus?
What way of living do you not know how to bring to this?
What ways of living seem to be in conflict with each other?
Take Notes:
What's worth recentering around?
What way of living is out of focus?
What way of living do you not know how to bring to this?
What ways of living seem to be in conflict with each other?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living is unsafe to emerge?
What's worth identifying?
What way of living would allow the above emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living is unsafe to emerge?
What's worth identifying?
What way of living would allow the above emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living is unsafe to emerge?
What's worth identifying?
What way of living would allow the above emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living is unsafe to emerge?
What's worth identifying?
What way of living would allow the above emerge?
Take Notes:
What's worth demoting?
What way of living doesn't make sense anymore?
What's worth embracing?
What way of living will save the above?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living seems impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living seems impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living seems impossible?
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living seems impossible?
Take Notes:
Take Notes:
What's worth nurturing?
What way of living seems impossible?
Take Notes:
Step 1.4.) Name your value
Using the guiding questions connecting to the feeling you identified, try to articulate your value as a sentence.
When you articulate your value try to use one of these pre-fixes or a similar kind in your formulation.
| From Step 1.1
Emotion:
| From Step 1.2
Immediate Cause:
Value
| From Step 1.3
Here's a few examples of articulated values. Your final articulation is likely to be a bit more specific than these.
Step 1.5.) Clarify your value
To make sure that your value isn't polluted with norms, goals, fears, etc. answer the questions below. Note that your value might already be on spot, in which case you don't need to that.
- Would it still be worth doing independent of the outcome? If so, continue to the next bullet point. If not, it's a goal or fear! Take notes below.
- Would it still be worth doing if no one knew you did it? If so, continue to the next question. If not, it's a social norm. Take notes below.
- Do you believe you could still be a good person even if you failed to be this way? If so, continue to the next question. If not, it's an internalized social norm. Take notes below.
- Would it still be worth being this way if no one else ever joined in? If so, (after all the questions above) it's probably a value! If not, it’s an ideological commitment. Take notes below.
"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if I couldn't affect the outcome?"
"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if no one noticed?"
"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if there were no rules?"
"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if I couldn't influence anyone?
🌳 Personal Value
Write your clarified value in the box below using one of the following pre-fixes.
👣HARD STEPS
Copy of your articulated 🌳 Personal Value
Step 2.1.) Come up with potential Hard Steps
- What is hard about living by this value?
- What exactly is it, that is hard to do?
- Which challenging action do you have to take to live by this value?
- Where do your attempts to live by this value break down?
Allow yourself to come up with many potential hard steps. You'll have time to select and refine later. In this stage, you can also list things you need, states you need to get to, social skills, sequences of actions you need to do, norms, goals, and limiting beliefs to overcome. You can turn them into hard steps one by one.
- Noticing—Noticing an internal or external stimulus, Attending to something, Tracking something.
- Feeling—Noticing, Identifying the emotion, Disentangling the immediate cause and associated beliefs.
- Focusing—Noticing, Selecting what to focus on, Attending to Something, Shifting focus, Tracking something over time, Keeping in mind, Staying in Touch with, Not getting distracted.
- Recognizing, Identifying—Noticing an internal or external stimulus, Having a Referent (e.g. previous experience with the thing I am trying to identify)
- Gathering information, Finding out—Discovering, Investigating, Scanning for—Knowing what you need (to know, to look out for), Gaining access, Interpreting what you learn.
- Remembering, Recalling—Remembering how to do something or explicit knowledge, Having gained that knowledge, Remembering to remember.
- Generating, imagining alternatives (creativity)
- Assessing, discerning—Assessing, Evaluating, Discerning, Telling whether, Separating, Identifying.
- Deciding, Weighing, Choosing—Trading off, Prioritising, Balancing more than one concern, Choosing the best ... (team, time, space)
- Modeling, Foreseeing—Modeling interactions, Stepping into the shoes of the other, Foreseeing consequences, Anticipating.
- Changing Situations and Games—Making space for, Creating, Getting, Finding, Arranging, Collecting, Building, Borrowing, Asking for support with, Pausing, Rearranging
- Social Skills—Negotiating, Listening, Asking, Understanding, Reminding, Providing support, Stepping into their shoes, Empathy
- Resources, Capacity, Experience—Setting yourself up ahead of time to do hard things later.
- Changing Course, Dealing with Setbacks—Accepting, Sitting with, Bearing, Knowing it's okay, Improvising, Stepping back, Aborting, Changing mental model, gear, lens.
- The (right) equipment (to) remember, identity, find, arrange, collect, build, borrow ❓Do you need a special kind of equipment? What’s hard to do about knowing what you need or getting those things?
- The (right) people (to) identify, gather, select, find, get on board, convince, build relationships with ❓Does this value require a specific person? If so, what’s hard to do about gathering people who fit the criteria? What’s hard to do about knowing where to find them? What kind of information would you need to tell if someone is right? What’s hard to do about gathering that information? ❓What would you need to set up long in advance?
- The (right) time and timing (to) identify, notice, make, schedule ❓Does the moment need to be right? What would you need to be able to tell if the moment is right? What’s hard to do about evaluating that?
- The (right) setting (to) imagine, find, identify, set up, make, negotiate, decorate ❓Is this value easier in a specific setting? If so, what’s hard to do about creating that setting? ❓Do you need a certain mood or situation? If so, what’s hard to do about setting that mood / getting into that situation?
- Current capacity and needs (physical, intellectual, emotional) (to) Assess, bolster, provide support, keep in mind, make space for, listen to, ask about ❓What do you need to be capable of handling as it unfolds? What is hard to do about that?
- Skills, ability (to) Assess, bolster, practice, grow, accommodate, keep in mind
- Current mood/emotions (to) Assess, make space for, acknowledge, change plans for, improvise, change gears, model, foresee, track, keep in mind ❓What do you need to be able to feel? What’s hard to do about that? What’s hard to do about knowing when you’re ready to handle and feel those things? ❓Do you need a certain mood? What’s hard to do about setting that mood? ❓Does this value require a person to be in a specific state? If so, what’s hard to do about getting people into that state? What kind of information would you need in order to tell if someone is in the right state? What’s hard to do about gathering that info? Is the state you/they need to be in fragile? What’s hard to do about getting yourself/others there?
- Limiting beliefs (to) notice, identify, name, process, make time for, sit with, keep in mind, not get drawn into
- Sense of safety, trust (to) Assess, reassure, call to mind, remember, remind, provide support, keep in mind, ask about ❓Are there reasons it might be unsafe to do this? What kind of information do you need to decide? What’s hard to do about figuring out whether it’s safe in this particular situation?
- How might they see and understand me (to) model, assess, step into their shoes, remember, ask about, listen to, adjust course
- Status, Relationship Durability, Communication, Willingness to cooperate (to) assess, take into account, change, remember, remind, track over time, change, ignore, make space for, address
- Other consequences living by this value might have (to) assess, accept, sit with, make space for, hear out, mitigate, prepare for, remember, change, ignore
Step 2.2.) Screen and Pick
Look at the list of checked items and go through the list of potential hard steps one by one.
Which three potential hard steps seem essential and hardest in living by this value? Run through the next step with those three.
Step 2.3.) Refine and Final Check
⚙STRUCTURAL FEATURES - That make this value easier in
Copy of your articulated 🌳 Personal Value
How many people are present?
Are people going to stick around?
Examples: Loyal — dinner with close friends. Trapped — WhatsApp group, open mic Fickle — people passing on the street Unclear — you can’t tell
How long are we present?
Examples: None — twitter, news feed Brief — speed dating Some — weekend workshop Enduring — workmates, old friends, family
What kinds of responses are possible?
Examples: like | friend | follow | thank | review | comment | join | commit | request | buy | eye contact | body language | hand signals
Do we need each other to proceed?
Examples: Dependent — parents/children, gatekeepers Interdependent— congress, social club Independent — news feed
How do we interact?
Examples: In pairs — news feed Teams — sports league Whole Group — sharing circle Disjointed — high school dance (in-groups/out-groups)
How well are people acquainted?
Examples: close friends | acquaintances | strangers | anonymous | mixed |
What clues connect people?
Examples: Deep Context — education, talents, skill sets, interests, values Shallow Markings — age, class, gender, race, beauty None/Random — chat roulette
Why are we communicating?
Examples: Shared Goal — team meeting Shared Value — close friends Shared Topic — comment thread Interlocking Goals — marketplace Unclear — strangers at a party
Why is this or that person talking?
Examples: Invited — dinner/camping trip Uninvited — question time at a public event / comment in a public forum Selective — standard barrier (e.g., university)
How quickly are we communicating?
Examples: Off the cuff — improv, chat rooms Asynchronous — texting Thoughtful — journal and share Contemplative — blog posts
Will what I say stick around?
Examples: Ephemeral — Talking at a bar Temporary — Snapchat Searchable (w/effort) — Microfiche Permanent Record — Twitter
Is there a social hierarchy?
Examples: Flat — no, we focus on equality Ranked — scores or skill levels Celebrity — huge differences
How much will outcomes affect me?
Examples: High — THIS MATTERS!!! Medium — I'll live either way, but... Low — who cares?
What else is relevant to the situation?
🎸SPACE JAM
Space Jamming is a chance to create small games for people to practice living by their values. We want to support the value, but make sure not to jump over the hard steps. Space jams should be practice spaces to help us live by our values in everyday life.
Step 4.1.) Frame the game
A 👨👩👧👦 social skill or situation
A social skill that is being practiced through living the value and the situation it takes place in (e.g. giving feedback at a work meeting, listening to my friends at a bar).
Step 4.2.) (Simple) Instructions
Start with this, then do this, then this.
Step 4.3.) Design Materials
Copy your 🌳 articulated value here.
Copy your 👣 hard steps here.
Copy of your ⚙ structural features
🎸JAMTIME
Time to let your creativity shine. Rewrite your rules from above to make a game environment for someone to practice living by a value. Offer support, but don't let them skip over the hard steps!
You’ll need to develop a new eye for games. What makes them fun, interesting, powerful? Study games you know well—games like Truth or Dare, Charades, Twister, Tag, Chess, Basketball—to see for the first time how they work, where their richness comes from.
These 8 ways your game could suck will help you understand what the classics get right and improve the games you’re making:
YOUR GAME SUCKS BECAUSE...
Does the game begin and end in a satisfying way? Is the beginning scary? The end triumphant? What design elements are important here?
Some people go all-in as soon as a game starts, and others are slower to warm to it. Ideally a game can accommodate a variety of levels of engagement and win people over to a kind of commitment through play. Does your game do this? How does it create room for the less engaged player? Will they have experiences that draw them in? Will social pressure exists even among less engaged players that will push them towards commitment? Can it accommodate different rates of engagement?
Does the game have a skill set all its own, or does it just engage standard issue human skills (i.e., will the winner generally just be the strongest, the best at pattern matching, the most social)? Ideally, challenges of the game should be unfamiliar and worth improving at.
The best games have a complexity and richness which isn’t revealed in the instructions but instead slowly through play. Does your game have strategies which a player would only hit upon after 10 minutes (or 10 hours) of play? Do the roles and tasks create an ecosystem together which affords a variety of ways of playing and of attending to the play of others? Are there different ways to use the room, to use props, or to use other players which take time to explore? Do the instructions manage to create a good beginning and a good end without spelling exactly out how they happen?
In game design, the word balance is used to mean a game in which very different personality styles and very different strategic approaches can compete equally. So a game is balanced if offensive strikes and more defensive approaches can both seem like a good idea. Or if introverts and extroverts can play against one another, using their different strengths. Balance, more than any other feature, is what makes a classic game.
What do the players focus on, at each stage of the game? Do competitive or race condition tasks take players focus off of each other, and is that desired? Does a difficult task take focus off how a player is being perceived? If there are moments of conviviality, how does focus come to be on the group feeling?
Is there a rhythm to the engagement of the game? Does it give people time to breathe, to appreciate their accomplishments, to plan? Are there quiet moments, or moments of sub-group intimacy / knowing eye contact / etc?
At what level are players able to contribute something of their own? Do they invent their own strategy? Is there a performative quality they can bring? Are their creative tasks? Does a player have room to really invent or are they pressured to optimize? Is their contribution actually of consequence or is it merely a gloss?
Expect it to suck, put in 20h and 50 games and you'll rock. Have fun! 🎉