Our decision making energy is scarce.
Here are 10 tools to use this precious resource efficiently and massively improve the quality and speed of your decision making.
- Autopilot. The vast majority of all decisions are low risk and low reward. They don’t matter. Use a (mental) coin toss to quickly decide and move on.
- Slow food. Percolation time is the time necessary for your subconscious to help you make better decisions. Mine is 72 hours. It means that I am smarter after I have postponed making an important decision by 72 hours.
- Dr. No. If someone puts mental pressure on me to decide now, the answer is by definition no.
- No regrets zone. Stick to your decisions, unless you receive new information which is relevant for the decision.
- Jackpot. Take massive action on any opportunity with low risk and high reward. There is only upside.
- Groupthink. If a group quickly reaches consensus on an important subject, it means you haven’t given the subject enough thought. Postpone the decision and think deeper.
- Skin in the game. Let decisions be taken at the level where the impact is biggest when things go wrong.
- Red alert. Emergencies where speed is essential, require decisions by enlightened dictatorship. One captain, one voice, laser-like focus.
- Someday, maybe. Make a decide to not decide list of all things that you may want to initiate, but not now. Review this list on a regular basis.
- Decision Ninja. If you want to take an action and it takes two minutes or less, always decide to do it now.