Laney Health Resources Page

Developing Responsible Decision-Making Skills

Decision-making skills are steps that allow us to make decisions that will help protect our rights and health of others.  The six steps to making a decision are state situation, list options, weigh possible outcomes, weigh in values, and make a decision and put it in Action.

Developing Goals

First, lets define the term goal.  A goal is something that you have to work for and it takes planning.   Think back to when you were small and had a dream of becoming a doctor, fireman, nurse, teacher, etc...  Do you still have that dream?  Did you set goals to achieving the dream?  Without a goal your dream will most-likely not become a reality.  How do setting goals make dreams come true.  Well, first you must understand that there are different types of goals. 

Short-Term Goal

These are goals that can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.  It may be a goal for accomplishing something tomorrow or by the end of the week.

Long-Term Goal 

These are goals that you plan to reach over an extended period of time.  In cases of setting long-term goals, you may set a goal like graduating from college in three years from the time you are a freshman or to run a sub fifteen minutes in cross country by the end of the season. 

Action Plan

The main ingredient in accomplishing goals is, of course, planning steps to keep you on track.  Now lets revisit your dream and maybe something you have recently said you would like to accomplish.  "I want to or I would love to become a doctor, get straight A's on the next progress report, or graduate from high school in the top of my class" are all goals that teenagers have in high school.  What do you do to make your goal a reality?  The answer is establishing an action plan.  An action plan is a step by step strategy to identify and achieve your goals.