Making Decisions — A Simple Framework

You make around 35,000 decisions a day. Most are small, like what to wear or eat. But a few, like choosing a job or a course of study, can change everything. The problem is, your brain often uses the same emotional shortcuts for the big choices as it does for the small ones. Learning to spot this and decide with intention is a superpower. It is the difference between drifting and steering.

Most people believe they make logical decisions. The truth is, we usually decide with our emotions first and then use logic to justify the choice we already made. Being aware of this is the first step to making better choices.Your brain's decision-making power is a finite resource. This is called decision fatigue. Researchers found that judges were far more likely to grant parole in the morning than in the afternoon after a long day of cases. Your brain gets tired. To fight this, make your most important decisions early in the day and automate the small stuff (like what you eat for breakfast).Here are some core truths about deciding:Not deciding is a decision. By avoiding a choice, you are simply letting circumstances or other people decide for you. That is a weak position to be in.Most de...

Jayden (18) had two summer offers. The first was an unpaid internship in the industry he wanted to join. The second was a paid job at a warehouse that had nothing to do with his career goals. The money was tempting, and the choice was paralyzing him. He decided to try a trick. He imagined his friend Andres asking him for advice on the exact same choice. What would he tell Andres? Without hesitation, he would say, "Take the internship. The experience is worth more than one summer of pay." The distance made it obvious. Then he ran the 10-10-10 test. In 10 minutes, the cash would feel good. In 10 months, the internship experience would be on his resume, making him more hireable. In 10 years, the summer paycheck would be a distant memory, but the career boost could be life-changing. He reali...