Making Decisions

You can remember this SODAS method by the first letter of each step.

    S – Situation: Think about the who, what, where, when and why

    O – Options: Brainstorm, make a list of possible options

    D – Disadvantages: List the drawbacks of each option

    A – Advantages: List the positives of each option

    S – Solution: Consider the options with their pros and cons, and decide which one will be best for you.

Once you get comfortable with solving problems by learning to compare your options, you can abbreviate the process above to 3 simple POP steps:

    P – Problem: Think about the who, what, where, when and why

    O – Options: Brainstorm, make a list of possible options, the drawbacks and positives

    P – Plan: Decide the best option for you and your situation

The ultimate goal should be for you to train your brain to organize your thoughts this way.  Once you are able to make sense of the situation and come up with some ideas for how to fix it, your problems won't seem so overwhelming!