How to Make Decisions: Use This Framework to Never Regret Anything

Today, I want to help you with a very fundamental skill: Decision-making.

Decisions are responsible for either the best or the worst turning points in our life. They are a real force.

Having that much importance bears one question: How do we make good decisions? Just read on.

Soar Above the "What-Ifs" and Land on Opportunity

To put it simply, with good decision making, we have the opportunity to improve our life.

Your future is a cloud of potential, and it responds directly to the choices you make. Yet, making major decisions often paralyzes us with fear. The result? Stagnation and settling for less.

Why Emotional Choices Can Lead to Regret (And What to Do Instead)

It's natural to feel uncertain when facing big life choices. Our "monkey mind" tends to spin out thousands of possible negative scenarios.

Somehow, it's always after the fact that we learn how unlikely these actually are to occur. This emotional, fear-driven decision making can lead to impulsive choices driven by anxiety.

On top of that often come stress-inducing factors like FOMO and FOBO. Experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) often drives us to decide in favor of something that doesn't make us feel good. FOBO (fear of better options) is likely to put us in a place of paralysis.

What we need to make good decisions is careful, rational analysis. In other words, we need to shut down our monkey mind and put us in the perspective of an eagle, who sees a clear picture from above.

The 3-Step "Eagle-Eye" Framework to Take Flight

To overcome these challenges, I use a process inspired by Tim Ferriss' "Fear Setting" technique. I call it "Eagle-Eye Decision-Making" - it allows you to step back, gain a birds-eye perspective, and make choices with clarity and confidence.

Step 1: Get Comfortable With the Worst-Case Scenario

In this first step, you'll decode your fears. What could seriously happen if you actually took the action you're thinking about?

Feel free to use this Notion template with four columns: Define, Prevent, Repair, and Impact (0-10). Here's what you should write down:

• Define: Write out all the worst things you can imagine happening if you take the action you're considering.

• Prevent: Determine what you could do to decrease the likelihood of those negative outcomes.

• Repair: Identify how you could mitigate the damage if the worst did occur. Who could you ask for help? Has anyone else figured this out before?

• Impact: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the possible negative consequence of the worst things in this row? Be honest.

Step 2: Soar Towards the Upside

Now, spend at least 10 minutes to brainstorm the potential benefits of even a partial success. Again, you can use the Notion template for this.

If you did what you were thinking about, what could be possible benefits in your life? Ask yourself questions like:

• Could you build confidence?

• Could you develop skills?

• Could you develop emotional strengths?

• Could you benefit financially?

• What might be the benefits of a base hit?
  

I encourage you to also rate these benefits with an impact scale of 0-10.

Step 3: Calculate the Cost of Inaction

If you're thinking now why you should even bother making a decision now if you could just put it off, you're missing the point.

A lot of times, the cost of not taking action can be way higher than the possible negative consequences of taking an action.

Now, ask yourself: What could be the cost of not making a decision (the cost of inaction)? Determine the emotional, physical, and financial costs of avoiding the decision altogether.

When you've put some thought into this, write down your thoughts:

How might your life look like in 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years if you don't take action now? Again, rate this on an impact scale of 1-10.

Your Result

Now why do all this? Applying this framework, you'll learn something about yourself. Very likely you'll realize that what you're afraid of plays a much larger role in your imagination than reality. It is in your head, but it is not real in the now.

The cost of not taking action might be significantly higher than a possible negative consequence of acting on it.

Be an eagle. Take a good look at your options and make an informed decision.

TL;DR

• Identify your fears around a decision. Define the worst-case scenarios, preventative measures, and repair strategies.

• Explore the potential benefits of even a partial success.

• Reflect on the cost of inaction - often, it's higher than the risks of acting.

• Use this Eagle-Eye Decision-Making framework often. It will help you overcome paralysis and make choices that move your life forward.