98 Unit 2 Setting and Reaching Life Goals
out as well as others. Just remember that decision
making is part of the growth process. As you
mature, your skills for making effective decisions
should improve.
Decision Making and Your Life
Path
The consequences of your decisions will affect
many areas of your life, including your health
and well-being, your family and interpersonal
relationships, and your future employment. For
example, your decisions about what you eat and
how often you exercise will affect your health and
well-being. Your decisions about how you spend
your time will impact your friendships and your
family life. How you use your time will also have
a great impact on your success at school and your
future employment. Your decisions also have an
Evaluating your decisions can help you grow.
You can learn from each experience and perhaps
prevent future mistakes. Your skills for using each
step in the process will increase with practice.
In addition to evaluating your decision-making
process, you need to evaluate the consequences
of your decision as well (Figure 4.12). Sometimes
a decision has far-reaching effects when you
consider all the people affected by it. A mature,
responsible decision will benefi t you as well as
those around you.
Throughout your life, you will encounter many
choices. The decisions you make should help you
reach your life goals. Some decisions may not turn
How could evaluating a decision help you grow
toward intellectual maturity?
Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com
Figure 4.12 A careful evaluation of your past decisions helps you make better decisions in the future. What
could be the benefit of using a human resource to help with this evaluation?
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.