You make better decisions by deciding the important things in advance, slowing down for the choices that really matter, getting honest input, and reviewing how your decisions turned out.
Why decisions go wrong
Many poor decisions are made quickly, under pressure, while tired, emotional or tempted. Others go wrong because we only look for information that supports what we already want.
What helps
- Decide in advance. Set rules for recurring choices, such as how much you save, what you'll buy on credit and when you'll stop working each day, so you're not deciding in the moment.
- Slow down for big decisions. Sleep on any decision that's expensive or hard to reverse.
- Write it down. List the options, the costs and what you expect to happen.
- Look for the other side. Ask what would have to be true for the other choice to be right.
- Get honest input. Ask someone who'll disagree with you if they see it differently.
- Separate decision from outcome. A good decision can turn out badly because of luck, and a bad one can turn out well.
What it doesn't mean
You don't need a process for every small choice. Save careful thinking for decisions that are big, expensive or hard to undo.
The habit: keep a decision journal
For important decisions, write down what you decided, why and what you expect. Months later, compare it to what happened. Over time, you'll learn your own blind spots.
The rule that makes it stick: wait a day on big choices
Make a simple rule: any decision over a set amount of money or a set level of commitment waits 24 hours. Most bad impulses fade overnight.
This week
Write down one decision you're facing, your options and what you expect from each. Sleep on it before you choose.
The keep
Deciding carefully costs a little time. It saves you from the expensive choices made in a rush.
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