I failed recently in making a decision a few months ago that was largely an emotional decision. And that emotion was fear. I put myself in a scenario that I was not living true-enough to my values and that doesn’t feel right for me. On the other hand, I wondered if I wasn’t giving my decision enough of a chance… so I decided to write it out on an index card with prompts inspired by Farnam’s Street’s Decision Journal.Here’s the outline I used:Date, time, and how I am currently feeling;What I intend to do.What’s happening that’s causing me to think that’s the best decision;Tactical/objective problem statement in addition to the previous bullet point’s story;Identified potential problems for me and for others impacted by the decision;Identified and described alternatives that I considered;Described the range of potential outcomes;Set an expectation for what will most (and least) likely happen.Now… it’s on me to decide. After I decide and act, I am going to fill out the last few sections on my index card:Describe the outcome.6 month review learnings: what did I learn from that decision?I used Farnam Street’s prompts, but am choosing an index card versus a piece of paper. I think I will start making a collection of “decision journal” index cards that I will keep. I encourage you to try this out. And if you do, I recommend highly that you use a pencil or pen to write out your decision. Iff dancing is how you physicalize music, then hand writing is how you physicalize your thoughts. Pro Tip for People Managers: I will be doing this for myself at work and I will be encouraging direct reports to do this… this could be the best way to improve critical thinking and decision-making skills!

Last modified on 2022-08-27