Direct Your Future™
Module 3:
Determining Your Direction
Module 3
Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
• Describe different kinds of decision-making strategies.
• State the steps of a planful model of decision-making.
• Apply the planful model to your career decision-making.
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Definitions
• Decision – selection of one alternative rather than another.
• Alternative – different ways in which a problem may be
solved, or a goal reached.
• Goal – an event, condition, or outcome that we set for some
future date.
• Consequences – results, or outcomes, of making a decision.
• Valuing – a process of examining alternatives.
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Basic Principles
• The outcomes of some decisions are more important
than others.
• When outcomes are important, use the Planful DecisionMaking Model.
• Using the Planful Decision-Making Model does not assure
the outcomes you want, but increases your probability.
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Other Decision-Making Approaches
• Painful – spending a lot of time and energy finding
alternatives and information, but not making a choice.
• Impulsive – jumping to a choice without finding
alternatives and information.
• Compliant – making the choice that someone else wants
you to make.
• Delaying – putting off making a choice.
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The Planful Decision-Making Model
Step 1: Identify the decision to be made.
Step 2: Consider characteristics of self.
Step 3: Identify alternatives.
Step 4: Collect information about each alternative.
Step 5: Put alternatives in priority order.
Step 6: Take action.
Step 7: Review the decision and possible outcomes.
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Module 3
Homework for Next Session
• Write a one or two-page description of yourself from three
different perspectives or viewpoints:
• How your parent(s)/guardians see you.
• How your friends see you.
• How your teachers see you.
• Using Activity 7: Connecting Life Roles, interview one of your
parents or another adult about different life roles they play.
You should complete the worksheet and bring it to the
next session.
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