Make Smart Choices: Growing Strong
An 8-week program designed to help teen girls ages 13-18 develop critical thinking skills, evaluate their friendships, set healthy boundaries, and make decisions that align with their future goals. Through interactive workshops, journaling exercises, and real-world stories, you'll build confidence in your ability to navigate life's crossroads.
Growing Strong: Your Path Forward
Our Journey
Together we'll build smart decision-making skills. You'll learn to make choices that are right for you.
Your Goal
By the end, you'll trust your instincts more. You'll know how to evaluate options with confidence.
The Outcome
A stronger, wiser you who shapes her own story. Every choice creates your unique path forward.
Choices 101: Your Story, Your Decisions
Stop
Pause before responding to that text or social media post. Take 3 deep breaths and ask yourself: "Am I in the right headspace to decide right now?" Notice how your body feels - tension might be signaling stress.
Think
Ask yourself "Does this align with my values?" Consider what future-you would want. Write down pros and cons if it's a big decision like friend conflicts or academic choices. Question peer pressure—is this truly YOUR choice?
Choose
Make decisions that honor your boundaries and goals. Remember that small daily choices (who you text, how you spend free time, what you post) build your life's direction just as much as big decisions. Own your choice, whatever the outcome.
Decision Check: Your Personal Method
Pause
Take three deep breaths before responding. Ask yourself: "What's really going on here?" Separate facts from feelings and peer pressure.
Pros/Cons
List three benefits and three risks in your journal. Consider both immediate impact and longer-term consequences on your goals.
Future You
Imagine yourself at 25. Would she thank you for this choice? Does it align with your values and the person you're growing into?
Your Smart Move This Week
Identify your pressure point
Is it a friendship drama, social media pressure, a class choice, or family expectations? Name your current challenge specifically.
Work your decision muscles
Take 5 minutes of quiet time, write down 3 pros and 3 cons, then ask: "Would my one-year-older self thank me for this choice?"
Commit to one brave action
Whether it's a difficult conversation, saying no to something that doesn't feel right, or stepping toward a goal—choose one action and do it by Friday.
What Smart Choices Look Like
Academic Choices
- Taking challenging classes that interest you
- Asking for help when you need it
- Setting realistic study schedules
Social Choices
- Standing up for yourself and others
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Choosing friends who support your goals
Health Choices
- Getting enough sleep
- Moving your body in ways you enjoy
- Taking mental health breaks
Real Stories: Smart Choices in Action
89% Success Rate
Teens who practice decision-making skills report better choices in tough moments.
3x Confidence Boost
Girls with decision frameworks feel three times more sure about their choices.
75% Future Focus
Those who consider their future self make healthier decisions today.
Friend or Foe: Know Your People
The people around you directly impact your decision-making ability. Learn to recognize who helps and who hinders your growth.
Cheerleaders
They celebrate your wins and lift you when you're down. These friends validate your good choices and provide emotional support when decisions get tough.
Drama Starters
They create conflict and often leave you feeling drained. These people pressure you into impulsive decisions that don't align with your values.
Growth Partners
They challenge you to be better and grow with you. These friends ask thoughtful questions about your choices and help you see blind spots in your decision-making.
Anchors
They hold you back from trying new things and taking risks. These people discourage you from making choices that would help you become your future self.
Recognizing these patterns helps you choose who to turn to when facing important decisions.
Circle Check: Who's In Your Life?
Take an honest look at the people in your social circle. Who helps you grow and who might be holding you back?
Which category do most of your current friendships fall into? What does this tell you about your social choices?
Be the Friend You Want to Have
Authenticity
Share your real struggles with decisions instead of pretending everything's perfect. When a friend opens up, respond without judgment about their choices.
Active Listening
Put your phone down and maintain eye contact when friends discuss tough choices. Ask follow-up questions to understand their decision process instead of immediately offering advice.
Unwavering Support
Stand by friends when they face consequences of difficult decisions. Offer to help with their growth goals even when it takes time away from your own activities.
Setting Boundaries with Friends
Recognize Your Limits
Identify specific situations that make you uncomfortable, like pressure to skip class, share personal secrets, or try substances. Your emotional safety is non-negotiable.
Communicate Clearly
Use "I" statements like "I feel pressured when you keep asking after I've said no" or "I need space when we disagree." Be direct without blaming.
Stand Firm
If they continue pushing, remind them: "This matters to me." True friends may initially test boundaries but will ultimately respect them. Remember, it's better to feel temporarily awkward than compromise your values.
Friendship Red Flags
Constant Criticism
They make cutting remarks about your appearance, choices, or interests. Comments like "that's so lame" or eye-rolling when you share something important to you.
One-Sided Effort
You're always the one texting first, making plans, or offering emotional support. When you need them, they're suddenly "too busy" or have excuses.
Different Personas
They're sweet when it's just you two, but ignore you or make fun of you around the "popular" crowd. Their online personality contradicts how they act in real life.
Pressure Tactics
They use guilt trips like "if you were really my friend..." or "everyone else is doing it" to push you into uncomfortable situations with social media, substances, or breaking rules.
Future You: Dreaming Forward
The choices you make today shape who you'll become tomorrow. Every decision, no matter how small it seems, is a building block in the foundation of your future self. When you stand at crossroads, remember that each path leads to a slightly different version of who you might become.
Take a moment to visualize your future self - in education, career, travel, and community impact. What accomplishments will make you proud? What kind of person do you hope to be known as? What values will guide your journey? This mental connection with your future self isn't just daydreaming—it's a powerful psychological tool that can guide your present actions.
When faced with tough decisions today, ask yourself: "What would my future self want me to choose?" This simple question creates a powerful perspective shift that can help cut through momentary peer pressure or short-term temptations.
Research shows teens who regularly connect with their future vision make healthier, more confident choices in the present. Studies from developmental psychology reveal that this technique—called "future self-continuity"—strengthens your ability to delay gratification and make choices aligned with long-term goals rather than immediate rewards.
Try spending just five minutes each week imagining a conversation with your future self. What advice would they give you? What would they thank you for doing now? This mental time travel exercise can become your personal compass for navigating today's complex social and personal challenges.
Dream Tracker: Building Your Future
Dream Big
Picture Future You in 5 years. Maybe she's at her dream college, speaking confidently in front of others, or surrounded by supportive friends who respect her boundaries.
Identify Key Steps
Break down your dreams into manageable actions—applying for one summer program, practicing public speaking for 10 minutes daily, or having one honest conversation with a friend this week.
Make It Real
Set specific dates in your calendar. Monday: Research programs. Wednesday: Practice speaking. Friday: Connect with a friend who lifts you up instead of drains you.
Celebrate Progress
Acknowledge every small win—completing an application, speaking up in class, or setting a healthy boundary with someone. These moments build your confidence and future.
What Would Future You Thank You For?
Healthy Habits
Getting 8 hours of sleep, choosing water over soda, and taking daily walks. Your future body will have more energy and fewer health problems.
Learning Skills
Mastering communication, financial literacy, and emotional intelligence now. Future You will use these foundations to navigate relationships and careers with confidence.
Smart Resources
Setting aside 30 minutes daily for planning, saving 10% of income, and decluttering your space regularly. Future You will enjoy the freedom of options these disciplines create.
When Choices Get Tough
Uncertainty
When facing decisions about friends, education, or your future, it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed by options. Take a deep breath and remember that everyone feels this way.
Values Check
Ask yourself: "Does this choice align with who I want to become?" Return to your core values like honesty, growth, and compassion to guide difficult decisions.
Seek Guidance
Reach out to people who want the best for you—not those who pressure you. Teachers, family members, or counselors can offer perspective without telling you what to do.
Trust Yourself
After gathering information, quiet your mind and listen to your intuition. Your gut feeling often reveals what your future self would want you to choose today.
Your Decision-Making Toolkit
When facing tough choices about friendships, boundaries, or your future path, use these powerful tools to guide you.
Values Alignment (30%)
Check if your choices match who you truly want to be and what matters most to you.
Future Impact (25%)
Consider how each option shapes your path forward and impacts Future You.
Trusted Input (20%)
Seek advice from people who support your growth without pressuring you.
Gut Feeling (15%)
Honor your intuition—it often reveals what Future You would want.
Practical Factors (10%)
Evaluate real-world elements like time, resources, and logistics.
Start with your values as your foundation, then build outward—considering future impact, seeking trusted guidance, listening to your intuition, and finally weighing practical concerns.
Leveling Up: Your Growing Journey
Trust Your Voice
When friends pressure you to join gossiping, your inner wisdom already knows the right path. Each time you honor that voice, your confidence grows stronger.
Shape Your Story
Instead of scrolling mindlessly, dedicate 15 minutes daily to a skill that future you will thank you for - whether it's learning Spanish, coding, or practicing an instrument.
Level Up
Track your growth in a journal. When you handle tough situations better than you would have six months ago, celebrate that progress as evidence you're becoming your best self.
Your Future You Journal
Decision Pages
Document tough choices using your values check method. Record what worked, what didn't, and how Future You benefited from your decision.
Circle Check
Create a friendship inventory with green flags and red flags. Track who consistently lifts you up and identify when to set healthy boundaries.
Dream Tracker
Schedule your small daily actions that build toward your big dreams. Note each milestone and celebrate the consistent steps that are creating your path forward.