Decision Making

Decision making can be complicated.  Most often a variety of options exist, each with their own consequences.  Some decisions are relatively easy and can be made quickly and without too much thought like, “What am I hungry for” or “What am I going to wear today?”

All decisions are important because they have consequences and take your life in a certain direction, but some are more important than others.  They are more important because they have consequences that will make a large impact on your life.  These include “What do I want to achieve” and “Where am I going to further my education?”

Follow the exercise below to help you arrive at a good decision to your difficult and important decisions.

1^st  – Stop! Do not make a hurried decision. Give yourself time to think through and assess the situation.

2^nd – Go through all of your options.  List them as well as the possible consequences for each option.

3^rd – Share your decision with your parents, an adult mentor or a trusted friend.  They will often have a perspective that you may have not considered.  You are not alone in the decision-making process.  Utilize your resources.  After consulting with your parents, an adult mentor, or a trusted friend, follow through with that decision. Remember that not making a choice or not taking action is a decision in itself.

4^th – Give yourself time to review what happened after you made the decision.  Look back and see why you needed to make a decision in the first place.  If it was a negative situation, see if it can be avoided next time through good decision-making.  Review how you arrived at that decision and what happened afterwards.   If there were negative outcomes to the decision, stop and think what other options there might have been. You might think of options that you had not considered before you acted!  Finally, apply what you learned from this choice to future decisions!

₁ Adapted from Healthy Oakland Teens Project; 1998