The PACED Decision Making Model

Choices are a fact of life. We make them every day. But when you have an important decision to make, how can you be sure you are making a good one? You could just leave it to fate or procrastinate until the decision is made for you. But if you want to make a more reasoned choice, you could try a decision-making process. A good one to consider is the five-step model called P-A-C-E-D, paced.
P is for problem. We all have them, but sometimes we spend more time worrying about our problems than actually trying to fix them. Take Sarah; every day she comes home from work to an empty apartment. She feels lonely. Something is missing and then it hits her. She needs a pet. But Sarah has no idea what kind of pet to get.
A is for alternatives. Sarah looks online. There are so many options. Ferrets and finches, hamsters, horses, and look, here's a pet alligator. She doesn't think an alligator would be very good company, though. Sarah has always wanted a dog, or maybe an iguana. A cat is a possibility, and a parrot might be fun. But what are the most important considerations when choosing a pet?
C is for criteria. Sarah makes a list. She doesn't want a pet that's too big. It can't be too noisy because she has neighbors. It needs to be adaptable to apartment living. She doesn't have a lot of money to spend either. Most of all, Sarah wants a pet she can love, and that will love her back.
Now it's time to evaluate, that's the E. Sarah made this grid. Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but it might bark a lot, that's a minus. And would it really be fair to keep a dog in her small apartment? A rescue dog might be low-cost, but the vet bills could be high. On the other hand, a dog is a great companion, a big plus. The parrot, probably expensive, but okay in an apartment. Noisy, good company? Sarah's not sure. An iguana... hmm, small and quiet, maybe, but not super cuddly. How about the cat? Small, fairly quiet, and cats do adapt to their surroundings. If Sarah goes to the animal shelter, the cost will be minimal, all pluses. Most importantly, Sarah likes cats a lot. Yes, a cat fits all Sarah's criteria and may just be the pet she's looking for.
Sarah makes a decision. She goes straight to the animal shelter. They always have lots of kittens waiting for someone just like Sarah to come along. Suddenly, Sarah feels happy about the way she made her choice.
The PACED decision-making process really worked, and she's looking forward to getting to know this little guy better. She even has a name picked out for him, Dexter. D for Dexter, a perfect choice.