Decision Frameworks
Build systematic approaches to recurring decisions.
Decisions are the most expensive cognitive operations
Every decision costs attention and energy — systematic frameworks reduce this cost.
Decision types recur predictably
Most decisions you face are variations of types you have encountered before.
One framework per decision type
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
The decision matrix for multi-criteria choices
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Reversible versus irreversible decisions
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
The two-door framework
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.
Satisficing versus maximizing
For most decisions good enough is better than perfect because the search cost exceeds the improvement.
Pre-commitment as a decision framework
Deciding in advance what you will do in a specific situation removes in-the-moment temptation.
Decision journals
Record decisions, their reasoning, and their outcomes to improve future decision-making.
Time pressure as a decision tool
Setting deadlines for decisions prevents analysis paralysis.
The default option framework
Define good defaults so that the do-nothing option is acceptable.
Opportunity cost thinking
Every choice to do X is a choice not to do Y — consider what you give up.
Decision delegation criteria
Know which decisions you must make yourself and which can be delegated.
Group decision frameworks
Different frameworks for decisions made alone versus with others.
The regret minimization framework
Choose the option you would least regret in five years.
Kill criteria
Define in advance what evidence would cause you to abandon a course of action.
Decision speed as a variable
Sometimes deciding fast is more important than deciding optimally.
Post-decision review
After a decision plays out review whether your framework served you well.
Framework selection is itself a decision
Choosing which framework to apply requires a meta-framework.
Decision frameworks free your mind for creativity
When routine decisions are systematized your creative energy is preserved for novel problems.