Tools for making difficult decisions:
“Looking backwards”
- let’s say you achieve your goals, and now you’re reflecting back — what were the key determining decisions?
- say you failed — what’s the primary cause?
- let’s say you achieve your goals, and now you’re reflecting back — what were the key determining decisions?
- say you failed — what’s the primary cause?
“5 whys”
If you are an engineer you probably do this instinctively when debugging. It’s useful to just keep asking why to get to the root deciding factor.
If you are an engineer you probably do this instinctively when debugging. It’s useful to just keep asking why to get to the root deciding factor.
“Restating the goal”
Debating something for long you might lose the forest for the trees. Practice going back to the goal and saying it in as many different (ideally simpler) ways as possible.
Debating something for long you might lose the forest for the trees. Practice going back to the goal and saying it in as many different (ideally simpler) ways as possible.
“Fundamental thinking”
What is really the fundamental nature of your decision?
Go to the most useful reductionist view of things; the kind the nerds think about when they hit the bong — eg “we are ultimately bouncing atoms in empty space” etc — and try to reason upwards.
What is really the fundamental nature of your decision?
Go to the most useful reductionist view of things; the kind the nerds think about when they hit the bong — eg “we are ultimately bouncing atoms in empty space” etc — and try to reason upwards.
“Radical thinking”
This one of our values @Replit — as yourself “what’s the radical thing to do here”
It helps you break the mold and expand the boundaries of the decision space.
This one of our values @Replit — as yourself “what’s the radical thing to do here”
It helps you break the mold and expand the boundaries of the decision space.
“Negative framing “
If you wanted to achieve the opposite of your stated goal what would you do? Now do the opposite.
If you wanted to achieve the opposite of your stated goal what would you do? Now do the opposite.
“Trial and error”
You can always decide and backtrack. People often forget this is possible.
You can always decide and backtrack. People often forget this is possible.
“Seek pain”
Another Replit principle. We often are delaying and running away from pain even when it’s the better decision.
So maybe you already know the answer but you are just afraid of it?
Another Replit principle. We often are delaying and running away from pain even when it’s the better decision.
So maybe you already know the answer but you are just afraid of it?
“Procrastinate”
Dangerous weapon but could be effective. Of the decision is proven too difficult sometimes delaying would reveal more useful information (or rarely it could become less important)
Dangerous weapon but could be effective. Of the decision is proven too difficult sometimes delaying would reveal more useful information (or rarely it could become less important)
“Infinite resources”
What if you were not bounded by money or other limited resources? Sometimes it’s then obvious what you would do. Now scale that down until it’s affordable.
What if you were not bounded by money or other limited resources? Sometimes it’s then obvious what you would do. Now scale that down until it’s affordable.
“First day thinking”
If today was the first day of your life, runway, or job what would you do differently? This helps you break away from sunk cost.
If today was the first day of your life, runway, or job what would you do differently? This helps you break away from sunk cost.
If all else fails do what makes the best story. amasad.me/story
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