Making Decisions

Most decisions are reversible

Yet we agonize over them for hours, days, weeks(?!). Researching pros and cons, asking others, aggregating advice.

You could have chosen one, tried it, and then adjusted from there. Often the research behind a decision takes longer than trying one option. Few decisions are irreversible. So when you face one that can easily be changed, the "better" option doesn't matter. You can try both.

"Should I learn Ruby or Python?"

"Should I do Facebook ads or Twitter ads?"

"Should I work on this project or the other?"

"Should I eat at this restaurant or the other?"

Pick one, try it, then try the other if the first one isn't satisfying. Unless you want to get swallowed up into an endless game of weighing pros/cons, so you can avoid starting ;)

There's no need for a decision

It's easy to feel the need to decide something for the future. But often there isn't a decision that needs to be made. It's likely trapping you in a moment of friction or procrastination. Thinking and deciding feels productive, but it's a way to hide from the present.

Catch yourself next time you're in decision mode. Check to see if there is anything that really needs to be decided on. Or can you continue operating as is and let things play out further? Is it just a current task you're feeling friction with?