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Think of the last time you had a major decision to make such as where to move, whether to stay in a relationship, or what to study.

It's hard to make a choice knowing that what you do in the world has consequences!

Man struggling to decide between a pizza and a taco

Assess the potential impact of your actions to help you make better decisions.

What Could Happen Short Term?

Write down what you think will happen directly after taking a potential course of action.

Man screaming 'Immediately!' while fire alarm sprinklers is going off

Quiz

Gene wants to get some regular exercise and they're thinking of taking up running. What are some possible short term outcomes?

What Will Happen Long Term?

Write down what you think will happen one month, one year, and even decades after the action.

Bearded man saying: 'a long, long time' and then laughing hysterically

In Gene's case, running regularly could mean:

  • Long lasting health benefits

  • Mental health benefits

  • Meeting a life-long friend along the way

  • Being a positive example for others

Did you know?

This Byte was created by a volunteer professional that wanted to share this insight to help you succeed - no agenda, no cost.

Who Will Be Affected?

Your actions can influence anyone in your life — family, friends, significant others, coworkers, or total strangers.

Write down who you think your action will affect. Will the effects be positive or negative?

Ask someone you trust how they think your action could play out. A second opinion can help you see if you missed something because of inherent bias or a lack of knowledge.

Meme of bear and sophisticated bear. Regular bear text reads: 'thinking about how my actions affect me' Sophisticated bear reads: 'Thinking about how they affect everyone'

Connect The Dots

Create a mind map to help you see how each outcome is connected to everyone it will affect.

You might even discover new outcomes of your action.

Woman displaying an example of a mindmap

Assess The Pros And Cons

It's time to evaluate!

Create a list of the pros and cons of taking the action.

This will help you take all that you’ve considered into account and make the right decision.  

Meme of man struggling with the choice of pushing a button labeled 'do' or a button labeled 'do not'

Take Action

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Feel confident in your decision now that you've assessed the outcomes!

Remember to ask yourself:

License:

This Byte has been authored by

PB

Paul Borkowski

Helping to make learning easy, accessible, and fun

English

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