Making Wise Choices - Apr 2023
Health Services Stall News
For Health and Wellness
The end result of your life here on earth will always be the sum total of the choices you made while you were here. — Shad Helmsteller
The Wise Choice Process
from "On Course" by Skip Downing
Ask yourself…
What’s my present situation? Identify and describe your actual problem/challenge. Stick to objective facts. Think “What exists?” rather than “Who is at fault?”. Don't criticize or blame.
How would I like my situation to be? Remember that you cannot change the past. Focus on what you would like the future to look like. Specify your goal or desired outcome.
What are my possible choices? Create a list of possible choices that you could do, knowing that you aren't obligated to do any of them. Brainstorm a list of choices without evaluating or making judgments such as “that would never work” or “that is a great idea”. Judgments can impede the creative flow of ideas. If you get stuck, try some of these ideas:
- Think of someone you admire and ask yourself what they would do
- Pretend the problem belongs to someone else who is asking for your advice
- Set the problem aside for a moment and do other things. Let your thoughts “incubate”.
What’s the likely outcome of each possible choice? Identify likely outcomes of following through on each of your choices from step 3. If you cannot predict the outcome of one of your possible choices, gather additional information (example: if you don't know the impact that dropping a course will have on your financial aid, find out before making your decision).
Which choices will I commit to doing? Decide which choices will likely create your desired outcome. Create your plan and make a promise to yourself (a commitment) to follow through. If no favorable options exist, consider which choice leaves you no worse off than before. If no such option exists, ask yourself which choice creates the least unfavorable outcome. Remember, not making a choice is a choice.
When and how will I evaluate my plan? Choose a future time to evaluate your results. At that time, compare your new situation to how you want it to be (as described in step 2). If the two situations are identical, you can call your plan a success. If you are still far from your desired outcome, you can decide if you need to implement your plan longer and/or if you need to develop a new plan. If you need to develop a new plan, keep in mind that you are not completely starting over because this time, you at least know what doesn't work.
