It’s easy to get bogged down with a big decision.

But your choices don’t have to be overwhelming.

You can use these frameworks to break things down, find clarity, and make confident decisions, regret-free.

#1) Eisenhower Matrix

If you’re overwhelmed with a long list of different tasks, the Eisenhower Matrix can help you focus on the right things.

Everything on your plate can be organized into 4 categories, each with an associated action:

If you go through the process, you’ll probably realize only a handful of tasks are actually both important and urgent. You can immediately prioritize them and create a short term focus list to get done first.

The Eisenhower Matrix goes a little further, though. It also helps you decide what to outsource to someone else, what to schedule, and what to just get rid of.

Instead of a messy list of 10+ bullet points, you can strip them down into a clear set of immediate priorities, future actions, things to outsource, and stuff to toss.

#2) Regret Minimization

Instead of trying to focus on every possible pro and con, sometimes it’s easier to strip down a big life decision into a simple yes or no question:

“When I’m old, am I going to look back at my life and regret (this one decision)?”

If it’s a “yes, I’ll regret this”, don’t do it.

If it’s a “no, I won’t regret this”, do it.

Most of us tend to stress out over a lot of things that don’t deserve that much energy. By framing things in terms of regret instead of success/failure, you’ll be able to slice through most big decisions and move forward with less anxiety.

#3) Flipping it around / inversion (Marcus Aurelius, Neville, etc)

Sometimes the best way to get clarity on something is to look at its opposite - then work backwards to avoid it.

If you’re thinking, “I want to run a successful business……”, you’ve got an endless jumble of scenarios that could look like a successful business.

It’s easier to say “What does a terrible business look like?” and identify key points to avoid.

#4) What would ___ do?

Big decisions sometimes freeze me up.

I’ll research, plan, make pros/cons lists ...but won’t actually take action.

The way that I get past these hurdles is to think of a person who would immediately take a confident action instead of overthinking it.

Sometimes it’s a famous person, a family member, or a friend.

Thinking about these people helps me get out of my head and act.

#5) If it’s not a “Hell, Yes!”, it’s a “No”.

This is a strategy that’s aimed at people who want to go from good to great.

The thing that holds back a lot of people (at jobs, in business, with happiness) is that they tend to scramble from mediocre opportunity to mediocre opportunity. You might feel obligated to say yes to everything that comes your way.

But if you want to do great work and really enjoy it, you’ve got to be a little more selective with your choices.

It’s a pretty simple idea - just ask yourself how you feel about an opportunity in front of you. Is it a no-brainer, jump for joy, “Hell, Yes!!”? If so, do it!

But if it’s anything less than that, pass on it.

This is a great question to slow yourself down and engage with things that you really think will be memorable winners instead of filler work.

#6) Circle of Competence

Warren Buffett is famous for focusing on his strengths - he only invests in industries he thinks he knows as an expert.

He also consciously avoids areas where he’s not an expert.

All of your tasks and decisions can be assigned to one of three categories:

1. Stuff you REALLY know
2. Stuff you sort of know
3. Stuff you don’t know at all

It’s easy to avoid #3, and #1 is usually pretty easy to identify.

It’s #2 (stuff you sort of know) where most bad decisions and big mistakes happen. It’s where you know just enough to be dangerous, but not enough to actually be great at.

Buffett’s Circle of Competence is all about reminding us to step back and really consider whether we’re 100% focused on our core strengths, or if we’re taking on things that are better left to other people.

#7) Fear Setting

It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about the future.

If you’re nervous about things going bad, it’s often helpful to define exactly what the worst-case scenario would look like.

If you can attach clear parameters to that worst case, you’ll probably find that it’s a lot easier to deal with.

Instead of vague fears, you’ll be able to consider specific numbers. Then you can make a rational decision about whether you can handle the risk or not.

Fear Setting Examples

#8) The Scientific Method

Core question: “Do I have new evidence that disproves my hypothesis?”

Many people are unintentionally emotional about their decisions, especially the important ones.

If that sounds familiar, you can use the scientific method to create rational, evidence-based decisions.

It’s pretty simple. Just turn your decision into a question, form a “best guess” conclusion, then test that conclusion with more data and external input.

If the process can’t “break” your conclusion, then it’s probably right. You can move forward knowing that you tested the idea properly.

If the process does “break” your conclusion, then you should either pass on the decision or form an adjusted conclusion to test again.

Sincerely,

Dan McDermott