- \n
- Project Planning with AI (From Concept to Timeline in One Conversation)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Role-Task-Context Framework (With 15 Examples)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Advanced Prompt Techniques (Constraints, Personas, and Output Control)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhy Most Decisions Feel Hard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHard decisions feel hard for specific reasons. Know which one you’re dealing with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too much information.<\/strong> You’ve researched so much that every option looks both good and bad. Analysis paralysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too little information.<\/strong> You don’t know enough to be confident. But waiting for more information has a cost too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conflicting values.<\/strong> Both options are good \u2014 they just optimize for different things you care about. Speed vs. quality. Short-term vs. long-term. Security vs. growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear of being wrong.<\/strong> The decision itself is clear. What’s hard is accepting responsibility for the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI helps with the first three directly. The fourth one is yours to work through \u2014 but having a clearer picture of the first three makes it easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe D.E.C.I.D.E. Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSix steps. Each one removes a layer of noise until the right call becomes visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D \u2014 Define:<\/strong> Clarify what decision you’re actually making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E \u2014 Expose:<\/strong> Surface the hidden assumptions and unknowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C \u2014 Criteria:<\/strong> Establish what matters most before evaluating options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I \u2014 Implications:<\/strong> Think through second and third-order consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D \u2014 Decide:<\/strong> Make the call with full information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E \u2014 Evaluate:<\/strong> Build in a review point so the decision stays alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nD \u2014 Define: Get Clear on the Real Decision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Most people jump to evaluating options before they’ve defined the actual decision correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wrong question = wrong answer. Every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 1: The Decision Definer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I need to make a decision. But before evaluating options,\nhelp me make sure I'm asking the right question.\n\nTHE SITUATION: [describe what's happening and why a decision is needed]\nTHE OPTIONS I SEE: [list what you're choosing between]\nTHE DEADLINE: [when does this need to be decided?]\n\nChallenge my framing by asking:\n1. Am I solving the real problem or a symptom of it?\n2. Are there options I haven't considered?\n3. Is this actually one decision or several smaller ones bundled together?\n4. What happens if I decide nothing \u2014 is that also an option?\n5. Who else is affected by this decision and should be part of making it?\n\nThen restate the decision I should actually be making in one clear sentence.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nOften the hardest part of a decision is realizing you’ve been deciding the wrong thing. This prompt catches that early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nE \u2014 Expose: Surface What You Don’t Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Every decision rests on assumptions. Most of them go unexamined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 2: The Assumption and Unknown Excavator<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Here is the decision I'm facing: [paste Prompt 1 output]\nHere are the options I'm considering: [list them]\n\nFor each option, identify:\n\nASSUMPTIONS I'M MAKING:\n\u2014 What am I taking for granted that might not be true?\n\u2014 What would need to be true for this option to work out well?\n\nKEY UNKNOWNS:\n\u2014 What information would change my thinking if I had it?\n\u2014 What can I find out before deciding, and what can I not?\n\nHIDDEN COSTS:\n\u2014 What costs or downsides am I underweighting or ignoring?\n\u2014 What does choosing this option make harder or impossible later?\n\nRate each unknown: can I resolve it before deciding (yes\/no)?\nFlag the ones I can't resolve \u2014 those are the risks I'm accepting.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nThe unknowns you can’t resolve are what you’re really deciding about. This prompt makes that explicit instead of letting those unknowns hide inside vague feelings of uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nC \u2014 Criteria: Decide What Matters Before You Evaluate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This is the step most people skip \u2014 and it’s the one that makes everything else objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you evaluate options before setting criteria, your criteria will unconsciously shift to favor whichever option you already prefer. Set the criteria first. Lock them in. Then evaluate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 3: The Criteria Builder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I'm deciding between these options: [list options]\n\nBefore evaluating any of them, help me establish my decision criteria.\n\nAsk me:\n1. What does a good outcome look like 12 months from now?\n2. What would make me feel this was the wrong call?\n3. What are my non-negotiables \u2014 things any option must have?\n4. What am I willing to trade off and what am I not?\n5. Whose interests matter most in this decision \u2014 and in what order?\n\nBased on my answers, create a weighted criteria list:\n- List 4-6 criteria that matter most\n- Assign a weight to each (must add to 100%)\n- Write a one-sentence definition of what \"high performance\"\n looks like for each criterion\n\nI will use this criteria list to evaluate every option equally before choosing.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe weighting is the key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Good ROI” and “low risk” both matter \u2014 but which matters more? Until you decide that, every option looks equally valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nI \u2014 Implications: Think Three Moves Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Good decisions don’t just ask “what happens if I choose this?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They ask “and then what? And then what after that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 4: The Second-Order Thinking Prompt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I'm considering this option: [describe one option]\nIn the context of this decision: [paste decision definition]\n\nRun second and third-order consequence analysis:\n\nFIRST ORDER (direct, immediate effects):\n\u2014 What happens right after I make this choice?\n\nSECOND ORDER (what happens because of the first-order effects):\n\u2014 What does the first-order result cause or enable?\n\u2014 What doors does this open or close?\n\nTHIRD ORDER (longer-term ripple effects):\n\u2014 Six to twelve months out, what is the likely state of things?\n\u2014 What path does this put me on that becomes hard to reverse?\n\nREGRET TEST:\n\u2014 Looking back from 5 years in the future, under what circumstances\n would I regret this decision?\n\u2014 Under what circumstances would I be glad I made it?\n\nRun this analysis for each option I'm considering.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nRun this for each option separately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The differences between their second and third-order effects are often more revealing than the immediate pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nD \u2014 Decide: Score and Choose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now evaluate each option against your criteria \u2014 not your gut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 5: The Structured Evaluation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Here is my decision: [paste Prompt 1 output]\nHere are my criteria with weights: [paste Prompt 3 output]\nHere are my options with their implications: [paste all previous outputs]\n\nScore each option against each criterion on a scale of 1-5.\n\nPresent results as:\n\nOPTION A \u2014 [name]:\n- Criterion 1 (weight X%): Score Y \u2014 [one sentence explanation]\n- Criterion 2 (weight X%): Score Y \u2014 [one sentence explanation]\n- [continue for all criteria]\n- WEIGHTED TOTAL: [calculated score]\n\n[Repeat for each option]\n\nRECOMMENDATION:\n- Highest scoring option\n- Key reasons it scores better\n- Most significant trade-off of choosing it\n- One condition under which a lower-scoring option would be the better call\n\nDo not soften the recommendation. Give me a clear answer.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nThe scoring process often produces a surprise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The option you thought you preferred scores lower once the criteria are applied objectively. Trust the framework over your gut.
That’s exactly what you built it for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nE \u2014 Evaluate: Build in a Review Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A decision isn’t finished when it’s made. It’s finished when you know whether it was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prompt 6: The Decision Review Builder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I've made this decision: [what you decided]\nMy reasoning was: [brief summary of why]\nThe expected outcomes were: [what you expected to happen]\n\nSet up a decision review by defining:\n\n1. LEADING INDICATORS \u2014 early signals (within 30 days) that suggest\n this decision is working or not working\n\n2. LAGGING INDICATORS \u2014 longer-term outcomes (90 days+) that will\n confirm whether the decision was correct\n\n3. REVIEW DATE \u2014 when should I formally evaluate this decision?\n\n4. REVERSAL CRITERIA \u2014 under what specific conditions should I\n reverse or significantly change course?\n\n5. LEARNING QUESTIONS \u2014 regardless of outcome, what should I\n learn from how this decision played out?\n\nFormat this as a one-page decision log I can file and return to.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nMost people never close the loop on decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They make the call, live with the consequences, and never extract the learning that would make the next decision easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This prompt turns every decision into data for the next one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhen to Use the Full Framework vs. a Lighter Version<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not every decision needs all six prompts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use the full framework for:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- High-stakes decisions with long-term consequences<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Irreversible or hard-to-reverse choices<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Decisions involving significant money, time, or relationships<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Anything you’ve been going back and forth on for more than a week<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Use just Prompts 1, 3, and 5 for:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Medium-stakes decisions where you mostly need objectivity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choices between two clear options<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Use just Prompt 1 for:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Smaller decisions where you just need to clarify what you’re actually deciding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The framework scales. Use what fits the weight of the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A pros and cons list tells you what you already think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The D.E.C.I.D.E. framework tells you what you should think \u2014 after your assumptions are exposed, your criteria are set, and the consequences are mapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Six prompts. One structured conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A decision you can defend, act on, and learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hard decisions don’t get easier by thinking about them longer. They get easier by thinking about them better.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A pros and cons list feels like a decision-making tool. It isn’t. It’s a way of organizing your existing opinions into two columns. Whatever you already believe ends up with more points in its favor. The list confirms your bias and calls it analysis. Real decision-making means pressure-testing your assumptions, identifying what you don’t know, … <\/p>\n
- Smaller decisions where you just need to clarify what you’re actually deciding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- The Role-Task-Context Framework (With 15 Examples)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
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