We make over 30,000 decisions every single day. Some big, others not so much. But whether it’s what we are having for lunch or where we are going to attend college, these choices carry certain consequences with them that are both good and bad. When we make a poor decision that we regret, we call this a mistake. At some point in our lives, we have all been taught to “learn from our mistakes.” And although we may like to think that we do…

Are we really learning from our mistakes?

Think about it. In college, when faced with a pivotal exam that could determine your grade, you'll go to great lengths to properly prepare. You will likely spend hours reading the class materials, reviewing old assignments, and studying with classmates.

Why do we treat our decisions and their outcomes any different?

Most people will take no longer than a couple of minutes to reflect back on their decisions. However, the ability to make good decisions, and avoid poor ones, are what catapult us closer to all the things we wish to achieve. Successful individuals can look back and ultimately attribute their prosperity to a couple of really good decisions — “Should I start this business or a different one?'“ “Should I marry this person or breakup?” “Should I quit this job or stay?”

Our life is the sum of our choices.

95% of our life’s most impactful decisions are made in our 20’s.

Simply by recording our thoughts when facing big decisions is a great way to sharpen our decision making skill set. Yes, I mean literally write them down. I have a Google Sheet that I refer to for all my big decisions. It helps me organize my thoughts, visualize my outcomes, and decrease potential regret by understanding what exactly I was thinking and feeling when making this decision. Hindsight bias is very real. By cataloging our thoughts as we navigate these decisions, we can better understand what caused the outcome later on.

Here are the exact questions I ask before making any big decisions:

1. What's the decision? (Explain why I'm doing this)

2. What alternatives did I consider?

3. What am I feeling? (i.e. Extreme fear, pessimism, boredom, fatigue, greed, FOMO)

4. How long have I been thinking about this decision?

5. Who / What tipped me over the edge?

6. What are the secondary benefits of this decision?

7. If I took away all the secondary benefits, would I still make this decision?

8. What makes me think I'm right about this decision?

9. What makes me think I'm wrong about this decision?

10. What's the upside if I'm right?

11. What's the downside if I'm wrong?

12. Could I live with the downside?

13. Would the upside be worth it?

14. How do I predict this will play out?

15. What date will you revisit this?

To truly master the art of decision making, you must revisit and study all of your big decisions to uncover what went right (or wrong). If you aren’t able to explain exactly why you made a certain decision, than you are not in control.

Better Decisions = Better Outcomes = Better Life

Key Takeaways:

• Spend time reflecting back on the outcomes of your big decisions

• Record your thoughts and emotions before making a big decision

• When you make a poor decision, outline how you will avoid making this same mistake again