CHOICE

What is Choice? And How Do We Build Our
Decision-Making Muscles?

When we talk about rights, we are talking about being in control of your life. And that means making your own decisions. But before we go any further, let’s ask: what is a choice?

A choice is when you pick or select the option that works best for you.
You think about what you want, what you need, and what is possible — then you choose.

You have the right to make choices.
Some choices are small, like what to wear or eat.
Some are big, like where to live or who to spend your life with.

Choice is a Muscle

Think about decision-making like a muscle. When we lift weights at the gym, our muscles grow stronger. The same thing happens with choice. The more we practice making choices, the stronger that muscle gets.

It might start small like:

• Choosing what to eat
• Choosing what music to play
• Choosing when to go for a walk

Over time, these small choices build up your confidence and help prepare you for bigger ones.

To help us understand this better, we created a fun video called The Choice Pump. It’s a workout-themed video that shows us how decision-making is like exercise — the more we do it, the stronger we get. Let’s take a look.

What If You Haven’t Had Practice?

Some people have had years of having choices made for them. They may not feel confident or skilled in making decisions.

That’s okay.

Choice is a learned skill. It takes time, support, and repetition to get strong.

Everyone deserves the chance to build that muscle.

A Quick rule of thumb

Here’s something to remember about what real choice looks like:

• One option is not a choice
• Two options can feel like a dilemma — especially if both are bad
• Three or more options is when real choice begins

The Vowels of Choice

Now that we understand what a choice is, let’s go one step further.

Just because someone makes a decision doesn’t always mean it was a real or informed choice.

To make strong choices, we need some key things in place. People First of Manitoba and Abilities Manitoba created a video to help explain this. It’s called The Vowels of Choice.

What are The Vowels of Choice? These vowels help us remember what people need to make real, informed choices:

A – Awareness that options exist
E – Experience those options so you know what they’re like
I – Information about your options that is easy to understand (this might include pictures or videos)
O – Options — remember, more than two
U – Understand the risks and responsibilities of the decision
and always
Y –Your choice

Before the video starts, think about this: if you’ve only ever had vanilla ice cream, and someone asks you what your favorite flavor is… You might say vanilla.

But you haven’t actually experienced other options. So is that a real choice?

Let’s watch the video and explore this idea together.

Message from the Team >