A Checklist for Big Decisions
What is A Checklist for Big Decisions?
Seven checks for a decision that matters. (1) Write the goal concretely, not as a slogan. (2) List the means currently in use. (3) Check that the causal link between means and goal actually holds. (4) Count the whole cost, including opportunity cost and long-run cost. (5) Look for the point where action and goal diverge. (6) Pick the smallest action and do that first. (7) Set a review interval and correct the means against the result. In one line: what is my goal, what are my means, what is the mechanism and what is the cost, and which step do I take first?
A Checklist for Big Decisions: common mistakes and how to handle them
Means in four areas have to survive the same check. Money — the core is that someone is willing to pay for the value you provide, so the means are solving problems, investing in transferable skills, protecting your reputation, and controlling risk (keep savings, don’t stake everything), not simply adding hours of fatigue. Relationships — both sides have to be getting something, so the means are saying what you actually need, putting the important relationships in the calendar, not trading control for reassurance, and allowing for difference. Interest — take part, cultivate something, make things rather than only consuming them. Health — a sustainable arrangement (enough sleep, moderate and continuous exercise) rather than catching up at the weekend. Score yourself periodically across eight areas — money, reputation, appearance, thinking, relationships, mood, body, time — and the lowest score is usually where the system is weakest. Earning is for living; it shouldn’t leave living with nothing but earning in it, which is why the boundary needs setting and reviewing.
What the A Checklist for Big Decisions questions test
identifying which of the seven checks a decision skipped; spotting an opportunity cost or long-run cost that was never counted; picking the smallest action out of several proposals; judging whether a given means is sustainable; choosing an appropriate feedback signal and review interval.