Is This Decision Reversible?
Before making a decision, ask yourself, Is This Decision Reversible?
Jeff Bezos talks about two kinds of decisions.
Type 1 decisions are those that are permanent, irreversible. They’re usually large decisions and deserve considerable attention.
Type 2 decisions are reversible. If you buy something on Amazon you don’t like, it’s easily reversible and you have a long time to change your mind about your purchase. They don’t require as much thinking power.
Figure out which kind of decision you’re dealing with.
If you apply Type 1 thinking indiscriminately to all decisions, then you’ll be depleting your decision making bank unnecessarily and sometimes make poorer Type 1 decisions because of decision fatigue. You’ll be making decisions slower generally and start to procrastinate on all decision making.
By knowing what type of decision you’re dealing with, you can give Type 1 decisions the attention they deserve and make faster decisions when it comes to Type 2 decisions and gain momentum.
The same goes the other way around. If you apply Type 2 thinking to all Type 1 decisions, you’ll start to make a lot of bad decisions that will compound over time.
When you identify Type 1 decisions, you can also ask, How Can I Make This Reversible? What’s the Cost? Is It Worth It? This exercise can help you minimize any potential risks associated with the decision.
Identify the decision type you’re dealing with by asking yourself, Is This Decision Reversible?
