1. LIFE SKILLS What is the definition of a life skill?
Tools for building a healthy life
Top Six Life Skills?
1. Communicating effectively
2. Coping
3. Using community resources
4. Making great decisions
5. Using refusal skills
6. Setting goals

2. Importance of Making Great Decisions
How many decisions do you make in a day?
Many of these decisions happen at the spur of the moment
You make some of these decisions without even thinking about them, could be good could be bad

3. Consequences A consequence is a result of your actions and decisions
Some consequences can be good, you achieve something you were striving for, you stepped outside the box and tried something new
Some consequences can be bad, you get in trouble, you get injured, or you make an unhealthy decision

4. Making G.R.E.A.T Decisions
G- Give thought to the problem
R – Review your choices
E – Evaluate the consequences
A – Assess and Make your choice
T – Think about it afterwards (evaluate)
MAKE GREAT DECISIONS TOGETHER
When making a really important decision, seek the advice of a friend, teacher, or parent in order to help you make the right decision. You will find that decisions in the future will require collaboration

5. COLLABORATE
To work together with one or more people to accomplish a task
Some decisions that need to be made CANNOT be made alone!
It is ok to ask for help and advice!

6. TEEN INFLUENCES
Your peers will influence you the most about making good or bad decisions.
Peer Pressure – The feeling that you should do something because your friends want you to do it.
Positive Influences – Positive role models who encourage you to improve yourself
Negative Influences – Being pressured into doing something you don’t want to do.

7. Types Of Pressure
Direct Pressure – The pressure that results from someone who tries to convince you to do something you normally wouldn’t do
Ex. Teasing, persuasion, explanations
Indirect Pressure – Pressure that results from being swayed to do something because people you look up to are doing it
Ex. Coaches, Media, Etc.

8. Refusal Skills
Strategies to avoid doing something you don’t want to do.
Examples page 35 – table 2
Practicing refusal skills will help you when the situation at hand actually happens to you.
Remember when saying no… respect others and don’t put anyone down!

9. G O A L S
A goal is something that you work towards and hope to achieve
Two Kinds
Short Term – goals that can be achieved quickly, with in 1-5 days
Long Term – Goals that may take weeks, months or years to achieve

10. Six Suggestions For Setting Goals
1. Make them safe
2. Make them Satisfying
3. Make them sensible
4. Make them somewhat similar
5. Make them specific
6. Make them supported

11. Action Plans
An action plan is a set of directions that will help you reach your goal.
Describes the step by step process by which you will try to achieve your goals.
Timelines, Step by step, support, etc.
Have rewards for your action plan
Reminders why you have worked so hard to get where you are

12. Influences and Tracking of Your Goals
Make sure that you know ahead of time what type of people are going to influence you both positively and negatively that could affect your goal.
Tracking – Make sure you keep a record or journal of your goal process to know where you are at.

14. Bad Decisions that affect you in a negative way?
Just STOP, THINK, and GO!!
Stop – admit you made a mistake
Think – Who can you talk to about the problem
GO – Do your best to correct the situation

15. Decisions/Refusal Skill Scenarios
1. Pick a scenario on the sheet that you have.
2. Use the G.R.E.A.T decision model to walk you through the scenario to hopefully make the right choice
3. List and explain how at least one of the refusal skills helped you out in the situation.

16. Persistent Pressure
When you’ve tried to say NO, but still someone/people are still pressuring you to do something… what do you do?
Leave the situation
Find an adult or a friend to help
Don’t let others get in the way from your values or morals