How do I practice values as compass?

The most direct way to practice values as compass is through a focused exercise: Pick one of your core values. Write it down. Now list three decisions you're currently facing. For each decision, write how that value gives you direction — not a specific answer, but a bearing. Notice the difference between 'my value tells me what to choose' (map thinking) and 'my value tells me what kind of choice to make' (compass thinking). If you catch yourself deriving exact answers from a value, you've switched from compass to map.

Common pitfall: Two opposite failures: (1) Treating values as maps — deriving rigid prescriptions from them, refusing to adapt when circumstances shift, becoming brittle and dogmatic. 'I value honesty, therefore I must say exactly what I think in every situation regardless of context.' (2) Treating values as decorative — so abstract that they never constrain any choice. 'I value growth' but the word means nothing operationally. You'll know you've hit the sweet spot when your values eliminate some options but not all of them.

This practice connects to Phase 32 (Value Identification) — building it as a repeatable habit compounds over time.