From the moment you wake up, you make choices. Some are simple; like deciding whether to hit the snooze button or roll out of bed. Others are complex; like choosing between a brand new or a used car purchase. Every choice you make is accompanied by risk. For example, hitting snooze might make you late for work or buying a brand new car might create a major financial hardship two to three years down the road. Did you know you can reduce risk through knowledge?
The Art of Educated Decision Making
Are you educated? Of course you are! From the moment of your birth, you’ve been garnering an education of firsthand experience. Since the time you turned 4 or 5, you’ve been learning through the school system. Life experiences have taught you hard lessons over the years. And all of this filters into the art of making educated decisions.
What is an educated decision? According to Vocabulary.com, “…you make an educated decision about something [when] you’ve learned about the subject before making up your mind – you’ve [become] educated… and you understand [the subject] completely.” That’s a pretty tall order because understanding a given topic completely takes time and effort.
Enter Risk Reduction Knowledge
What is it, exactly, this risk reduction knowledge? It’s the core of the Prime for Life program, the meaty educational aspect of it. There are five major behavioral elements that every person uses when they make a decision:
- Attitude
- Beliefs
- Motivations
- Risk perception
- Risk reduction knowledge
The top three greatly impact a person’s risk perception. In turn, all four of those top behaviors dramatically affect risk reduction knowledge, as does a person’s current level of awareness.
Youth make hasty, risky decisions. For some, their biggest risk if skipping class for a single day of wildness. For others, behaviors become a consistent pattern of high-risk choices, some of which land them in trouble with the law. When this happens, the court might see fit for the person in question to attend Prime for Life classes.
Risk reduction knowledge starts with an analysis of attitudes and core beliefs and how they influence decision making in positive and negative ways. Then, motivations are factored in because why you do things really does matter. Finally, risk perception is considered with a healthy dose of knowledge designed to reduce risky decision making. Ultimately, risk reduction knowledge is about learning how to make good, educated choices.
Everyone Makes Risky Choices
It’s part of life. We all make decisions that carry varying degrees of risk, but some can be avoided or better made with the right knowledge. A history of risky choices doesn’t make you a bad person, and it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It means there’s room to grow and learn and excel.
Regardless of whether you’re following a referral, court order, or voluntarily seeking help, we can assist you in a confidential, judgement-free zone. Why not come for a visit? We’re one phone call away.