1. 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?

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

3. State Standard
1.2 Assess the interdependency of decisions upon goal attainment

5. 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

6. 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

9. 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

10. 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?

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

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

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Assignment
Complete SAG p. 36 “Reaching Your Goals”

20. 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

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

22. Nonhuman Resources
Money
Possessions
The community
Information
Time

23. 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

24. 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

25. Assignment
Complete SAG p. 37 “Identifying Your Resources”

26. 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

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

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

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

30. 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?

31. 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?

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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?

35. 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

36. Assignment
Complete “Think it Through” p. 103

38. Assignment
Complete “Decision Making” worksheet in groups