Guide for Making a Decision

As you look back over the years you can probably identify important, pivotal events in your life. These events may have been the result of choices you made or the decision someone else made for you. This is a decision no one else should make for you. You can consider their thoughts and ideas, but ultimately they don’t live with the final decision, you do. Most of the time we make decisions based on what is important to us. The following tips can help you discover your values, beliefs and circumstances and hopefully help you make the best choice for you. This may be the biggest decision you have made, so take plenty of time to think things through. See My 3 Choices for more information on your options.

• Find a quiet place alone.
• Take a pen and a notebook or journal with you.
• Record your thoughts and feelings after finding out you were pregnant.
• Make a chart for each option with two columns, one to list your losses and one to list your gains.
• Briefly describe what you imagine your life, and your child’s life would look like after each decision you are considering.
• Write down your first responses to the following questions:
  1. What are my top 5 goals for my life?
  2. What do I want my life to look like in 5 yrs?
  3. What kind of person do I want to be?
  4. How would others describe me?
  5. How do I want others to describe me?
  6. What do I need to do now to make the above happen?
• Think Good. . . Better. . . Best. . .
  Usually, we can see the difference between a bad decision and a good decision. Try to take it a step further to what would be better and then what would be the best for you and your child.
• Seek counsel from someone you respect and trust.
• Consider who would be supportive of each option? How would the most important people in my life feel?
• Find out about the resources available by calling the Helpline at 1-866-942-6466.

Last updated: 02/2008