What Will You Decide?
Decisions are not always easy to make, especially as a teenager. You may feel like there is a ton of pressure on you to make the right choice. I know when I was growing up I felt like I had a ton of decisions to make that could impact my future and it was true. Maybe you can relate but if you can't at this moment, your time will come soon. Decision making can be both scary & exciting but ultimately is unavoidable in life. Below are some helpful tips & advice to guide you when faced with a choice.
At this point, you probably have discovered that some decisions can be made pretty quickly like what to wear or eat. However, in some cases decisions can't be made quickly because they require a bit more thought. When you allow yourself more time to make a decision you're able to consider the possible outcomes and consequences that could happen. Yes, this requires a little bit more time but ultimately it is a lot more beneficial because it can prevent you from harm or making a preventable mistake. We all will or have made mistakes in our life and that is totally okay because it can be a learning experience. As long as we learn from the choices we have made and make the proper corrections, there is nothing to fear. We're all humans and not perfect.
Have you ever avoided making a decision before? I know I have because I just didn't want to deal with it at that moment and felt stressed to make a choice. Maybe you have been in the same boat as me or maybe you avoided making a decision because you felt overwhelmed or afraid that you were going to make the wrong one. Life would be a lot easier if when we chose to ignore a decision it just went away like poof, right? Unfortunately, the reality is that it won't go away. The longer we don't make a decision for ourselves the possibility of someone else making it for us can happen. You may have experienced this already in your life and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Here are a few tips to consider when you don't feel like making a choice.
Take some deep breaths & try to clear your head of distractions ( Yes, I know this is easier said than done but at least try). Move to a quiet spot or your favorite place to think.
Force yourself to be uncomfortable for a brief moment & try to focus on the choice at hand & both the positive and negative consequences.
Think about who or what could end up making the decision for you? Try to say them out loud or write them down. Then try to come up with a plan for the next time you don't want to make a decision but have to. How can you take little steps to improve your decision making?
Stop, Think, Act, Reflect
As you become more of an adult and are faced with more challenging decisions to make, you want to make sure you have a plan to make the best one. Below you will find a model that is proven to be really helpful when making a decision.
First, you want to STOP.
At this time, give yourself a moment to process the choices at hand. Consider what could happen if you act too quickly.
Second, you want to THINK.
Think about the consequences and outcomes that could come from each decision if you were to make them. How might it impact your future, people around you, or what is possibly influencing you to make this choice right now.
Once you have have thought about it, the next step is to ACT.
After considering the consequences & outcomes, act out the best plan that is most beneficial to you.
The final step to this model after stopping, thinking, and acting is to REFLECT.
Some will say that this is the most important part of the model. This is where you look back on the choice you made and see if you have learned anything from it. Maybe it wasn't the best choice after-all but now you can make small changes so it can be better for the next time.
There's Positive & Negatives
There are a lot of different things and people that can influence you to make a decision. Some of those things are social media, family, friends, goals, and many more. Not always will these influences be positive so it's important to consider what can possibly be influencing you to make a choice. An important thing to keep in mind is....
no matter the influence, you are responsible for the decisions you make.
Considering the influences around you can help you make the best decision for yourself and help you make a decision that you want and not what someone else wants. Remember to stop, think, act and reflect about the choices you make. Make sure you evaluate the consequences & outcomes and remember that not all consequences are negative, some can be positive.
There are a million little choices you get to make in your life. Although decision making can be a scary thing at times, it can also be an exciting moment in your life, especially when it involves creating a future for yourself. So, the next time you are faced with a challenging choice remember the model that we talked about and keep in mind that you are human & it's okay to make a mistake. Just learn from it & tweak it for the next time. I'm confident that you will achieve great things moving forward.
Check out this decision making video & make sure to share the link!
As always, Join the SQUAD & stay HYPE!