Whether a teenager or an adult, making sound decisions can sometimes be a very difficult task.

Simply trying to decide where to spend the weekend, what test to spend the most time studying for, or which vehicle to purchase can be quite challenging at times. Yet, every decision should start with a consideration of a person’s short and long-term goals. Alternatives and consequences should be weighed and time should be allowed for careful reflection on goals and options.

To ensure that you are fully using your critical thinking skills, you must first begin with a positive attitude. It is also important to have a willingness and passion to explore, probe, and search for the answers or solutions you are unsure about. It is wise to remain open-minded and to seek opposing views. You must be able to tolerate ambiguity, which consumes our daily lives.

I believe curiosity is the key to discovering any criteria needed for analyzing ideas. You must also be willing to examine beliefs, assumptions and opinions against information known to be factual.

Sustained effort and persistence will pay off when looking for a solution to a problem. Don’t ever let frustration keep you from “plugging along” until you find the answers you are looking for. Be creative in your exploration and pay close attention to detail.

It is also vital to see all sides of an issue. It may be difficult to think of something you feel strongly about and try to argue or defend the other side of the argument using critical thinking skills and facts, but it could be worth a try. One of the hardest things to do in this world is to understand why certain things happen. Many people are constantly trying to make sense of things by making inferences as a means to explain and interpret events.

Critical thinking is closely connected to problem solving. Creative people attempt to turn their problems into a form of puzzle. Sometimes there is more than one solution and many alternatives. Crazy as it may seem, there are times when we must break the pattern of how we normally do things. Brainstorming is often an effective way of generating new ideas. An intractable person is not easily led; therefore, changing this type of mindset would be extremely challenging.

Reading different kinds of books, taking a different route to work, and traveling to a new destination could serve as a starting point for developing imaginative ideas and solutions.

Fear of failure sometimes inhibits people from taking risks. Have the courage to expand your thinking. Take pride in establishing new ideas and keep a journal if you would like to record your thoughts or creative thinking. Then, take the time to evaluate and examine your work.

Remember, effective problem solving entails discipline and a focused effort in conjunction with time, practice, and much patience.

Dr. Sonya Rogers is a certified counselor who lives in Daphne. 

Her column regularly appears in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.