Which step is about gathering information?

• A. Step 4: Gather information
• B. Step 1: Define your needs and wants
• C. Step 2: Analyze your resources
• D. Step 3: Identify your choices

Answer: (A)

Gathering information is the step that explicitly focuses on collecting facts, data, and details needed to make a solid decision. By researching needs, wants, options, costs, timelines, quality, and risks, you build a reliable information base that you’ll use to compare and evaluate later choices. Without this information, you’d be guessing rather than making informed comparisons.

Defining your needs and wants is about clarifying what’s required and what would be nice to have, setting priorities. Analyzing your resources looks at what you have available in terms of time, money, and other supports. Identifying your choices is about listing possible options to consider, but it doesn’t itself involve gathering the data you’ll need to judge those options.