Week Five

WEEK FIVE: Responsible Decision Making

Habit Practice Options

Option 1: Reflection on your values

Looking at your five core values (if you have not picked them do so now), what are some of the ways in which your core values are showing up in your everyday life? Do you feel like you are doing a good job of living out your values? If yes, how so? If not, why do you think that is?

Please share your thoughts by writing or recording a video.

Option 2: Using your values to support your decisions

Review your list of values on a daily basis. When you have to make a decision, make a list of options that are aligned with your values. For example, if I value helping others, I can decide to offer help when I can see that someone needs it.

Answer the following questions by writing or recording a video:

➔ How often did you review your values list?

➔ What was it like to review your values?

➔ What decision did you have to make?

➔ What options did you find that were aligned with your values?

➔ What was the result of your decision?

Option 3: Intent versus Impact Exercise

Have you ever said something trying to be nice, understanding, and helpful, but ended up hurting another person's feelings? This is an example of when your intent and impact did not match up.

Intent refers to what you thought you were doing or saying.

Impact refers to how that action was perceived by the other person.

Your intent was to be kind and say, or do, the right thing, but your actual impact proved to be hurtful. This can be very confusing. As confusing as it is, we still should strive daily to treat others as they would like to be treated.

➔ Name a time that you said or did something with a friend or family member that you thought was okay, but ended up being hurtful. This may be a time when you intended to be kind, fun, or helpful, but it was actually hurtful or upsetting.

➔ What could you have said or done differently?

➔ What did you learn from this experience?

Example:

A friend comes to you to talk about an issue they’re having at school. You offer them advice, but your friend is defensive and ends the conversation. You later learn that they felt like you were telling them they handled the situation poorly. Your intent was to offer a plan of action, but the impact was that they felt judged.

What could have been done differently?:

I could have listened, asked clarifying questions to make sure I understood, and offered no advice unless my friend asked me for advice.

Option 4: Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose your own way to practice one of the power skills you learned this week.

➔ Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness

➔ Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts

➔ Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

➔ Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions

➔ Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school

➔ Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

➔ Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts

After completing this activity, write or record your answers to the following questions:

➔ Which power skill did you practice?

➔ How did you practice the skill?

➔ What did you learn?