Journal Write a paragraph about a decision you recently made. Describe the decision and circumstances surrounding it. How did it turn out? Looking back, would you make the same decision again?

Chapter 4 Developing Your Decision Making Skills Life Connections Chapter 4 Developing Your Decision Making Skills

State Standard 1.2 Assess the interdependency of decisions upon goal attainment

Decisions You will make many decisions throughout your life. Routine decisions- the type of decision made every day without much thought Examples? Planned decisions- decisions that we make in which we use more time and energy to make the best choice Some of our decisions have long term effects Developing decision making skills can help you reach your goals and solve problems Decisions we make are influenced by: mental maturity, values, goals, standards, and resources

Your Mental Maturity When you were a young child your parents made all of your decisions for you. As we grow and mature we slowly gain experiences and knowledge to make our decisions Our thinking becomes more advanced We can think about abstract ideas as well as concrete objects We can reason or examine then draw our own decisions We can project thoughts about our life We can compare our ideas and the likely outcomes of each As a result, your predictions will become more accurate

Evidence of Mature Thinking Skills Thinks about abstract ideas Uses logical reasoning to draw conclusions Projects thoughts about the future Predicts possible outcomes Compares ideas and thinks about which outcome might be the best

Which of the figures is the biggest? All figures are the same height A person’s judgment is based on mental expectations and previous experiences How can this thinking process affect decisions you might make?

Your Values Values include all the ideals and beliefs that are important to you Your values will influence the decisions you make and the actions you take Your values are influenced by your society, culture, family, personality, and environment Various culture within a society may hold additional values Examples? Group Values: the ideals and beliefs that are important to a specific group of people within a culture

Your Values, continued Family values: ideals or beliefs that your family emphasizes These form the base form which you develop your own values Sometimes we have similar values and sometimes they differ Your personality can influence what is important to you Example: introvert vs. extrovert Your environment influences your values Your daily activities The people around you The media and internet Current and world events

Identifying Your Values Your values can be divided into 3 categories: Personal values Relationship values Work values Personal Values What is most important to you as an individual? We may interpret personal values differently from each other- ex, attractiveness Relationship Values Not just boyfriend/girlfriend! Examples? Work Values Your expectations for work Affects an individual’s identity and self-esteem

Values Influence Decisions You fell more confident when you make decisions that agree with your most important values Some values may be more important than others Sometimes decisions are more difficult to make because of a conflict in values Examples?

Values Auction Fill in your worksheet We will then hold an auction to determine which values are most important in our class

Journal List at least 4 values that are important to you in each of these areas: Personal Relationships Work

Your Goals Your values can help you set goals Goal- something you want to have or achieve Short-term Goal- Something you can achieve in the near future or less than 1 year Long-term Goal- Something that will take longer than 1 year to accomplish Subgoal- a step leading to a long term goal Subgoals can help you keep a positive outlook as you work toward a long term goal Use your values to set goals so you can make plans that are important to you in each area of your life

Your Goal Plan of Action Once you determine your goal you can determine a plan of action As you plan think about your choices that could affect your ability to reach your goal Identify your obstacles Obstacles- something that stands in your way as you try to reach a goal Come up with ways to avoid your obstacles Start on 2-3 goals to begin with Add more as you progress toward these goals

Assignment Complete SAG p. 36 “Reaching Your Goals”

Your Resources Resource- anything available to help you carry out your decisions We are better able to make good decisions when we are aware of all our resources 2 basic types of resources: Human- anything that comes from within a human Nonhuman- any item you have available to help you

Human Resources Physical Resources- Knowledge Talents Skills Good health Strength Energy Knowledge Talents Skills Personality Character traits Other People in your life

Nonhuman Resources Money Possessions The community Information Time

Your Standards Standards: Used to measure progress toward goals or determine whether or not a goal is reached Standards also help you determine what is and what is not acceptable to you Some standards are easily measured while some are not Example- standards at school, easily measurable Example- standards developed from your personal experiences are unique to you and not easily measured Sometimes differences in personal standards conflict Example your standards vs. parent’s standards The standard that gets set may depend on how important the goal is The more important a goal is to you the higher your standards will be to achieve it

Managing Resources Managing Resources=Using Them Wisely Managing Resources is a skill that must be learned Be aware of the resources you have available and how they may be developed Plan- planning will help you use each resource in a way that will benefit you Realize when you don’t have a skill to do what you want to do. Find a different resource

Assignment Complete SAG p. 37 “Identifying Your Resources”

The Decision-Making Process Your decisions should reflect your values You may be happier with your decisions if they are consistent with your personal beliefs Your decisions should help you reach your goals You will have greater success in carrying our your decisions if you fully explore all your resources Decision-making process- a step by step method to guide your thinking when you need to make a planned decision Each step can help you organize your thoughts so you can make a choice or pick the best solution

The Decision Making Process Identify the Issue Identify All Possible Alternatives Consider Each Alternative Make the Decision Carry out the Decision Evaluate the Decision

Identify the Issue Many situations are complicated and include several issues Clarify what the issue is

Identify the Alternatives Identify what choices you have in addressing the issue Alternative: a choice Identify as many alternatives as you can

Consider Each Alternative Think through each alternative Consider all the factors related to each choice How does each alternative fit your values, goals, standards, and resources? Gather information Seek out facts from reliable sources Remember your own past experiences Answer these questions: How does this choice fit in with what you believe is important? What beliefs or standards would you support by this choice? Would this choice agree with what you believe is most important? Would this choice agree with your standards?

Consider Each Alternative, Continued How will this choice affect you in the future? Consequences: the end result of a choice Try to imagine how the choice is likely to affect your life or others in the future Determine how each choice will help you reach your goals What resources are needed to carry out each alternative?

Choose the Best Alternative Make a decision Takes time as you reflect on each alternative You may find that there is no perfect solution Weigh all the facts, past experiences, and valued opinions of others

Carry Out the Decision Make a plan of action Try to visualize yourself in each step as you make the plan This will help you identify some of the obstacles you may meet The more specific the easier it will be to implement Implement- carry out

Evaluate the Decision Your decision making skills will increase if you evaluate your past decisions Consider these questions: How well did you predict the outcome of your choice? Were you able to follow your plan of action? Did you think of every possible alternative? Did you have enough information about each alternative? Was the information accurate? Did you recognize other alternatives after you implemented your plan? Did anything unexpected happen? Did your plan need some changes? Were there some obstacles for which you didn’t plan or prepare?

Evaluate the Decision, continued Also evaluate the consequences of your decision What impact did the decision have on things that are important to you? Think about your personal values What effect did the decision have on your personal health? Was it a positive outcome, or did the decision create another problem? How did the decision affect your relationships? Family? Friends? A mature, responsible decision will benefit you as well as those around you Your evaluation can be a guide for other decisions

Assignment Complete “Think it Through” p. 103

Assignment Complete “Decision Making” worksheet in groups