MAKING DECISIONS
Making decisions can be difficult. In order to make a well thought-out decision here are some questions you may want to ask yourself first:

• What are the possible consequences (positive and negative) of my decision?
• How desirable or undesirable are each of these consequences?
• What are the chances that each of these consequences will happen?

Answering each of these questions will give you more information to make your decision.

Some people find it useful to write their answers down. Another helpful exercise is to draw a line down the centre of a page and write "for" on one side and "against" on the other. Then list all the reasons why you should make your choice on the "for" side and all the reasons why you shouldn't make your choice on the "against" side. Remember, some decisions will be difficult to make no matter what tools you use.

What do you do if your friends want you to do something that you don't want to do?

After you have thought through your options and made your decision, you have to tell your friends. Sometimes this is the hardest part. Remember that you are the one that has to live with the consequences of your choices, not them. Of course you can always just say "no" and walk away, but that is not always easy to do.
Here are some other ways of saying no to someone who wants you to do something that you don't want to do:

• "I'm not interested"
• "I've got something else to do"
• "I don't feel like it"
• "It makes me sick"
• "I've got a better idea"
• "I've decided not to do that anymore"
• "I'm not ready"
• "I've been grounded or punished in the past and don't feel like going through that again"
• Make an excuse to go to the washroom or leave if you are feeling uncomfortable

As you get older you will have many more decisions to make in your life. This can be exciting and scary. Remember to think things through as best as you can and if you make a mistake don't panic - that's the best way to learn.