How the Thinkers Notebook Made Me A Better Decision Maker
A thoughtful guide to making better decisions.
I've been thinking about my Thinkers Notebook. Boy, I loved writing that last sentence. I received the first edition of this well thought out notebook custom built from the ground up for us thinkers. However, I am thinking it should change its name to Writer’s notebook because that is why I bought it. To make me a better writer.
What I wasn’t expecting was for it to teach me to become a better decision maker.
The Thinkers Notebook comes with its own community and that community meets virtually to discuss good note-taking and better ways to think.
Recently, I appeared as a guest on their virtual workshop and the topic was Making Difficult Decisions https://www.thinkers-workshop.com/feed. The conversation was driven by Mica Gadhia and she was joined by Thinker Notebook founder Sean Jackson. The conversation took off in a slightly different direction than Mica originally planned, but it circled back around for a very valuable lesson or step-by-step process for making those tough decisions.
Sean and Mica were able to break decision-making down to a process and then I was able to draw on some real-life situations where I had put this process to use. The result forms a great how-to guide to help you with your next real difficult decision in life or business.
Here are the steps and my real-life example at the end of each step. (The difficult decision we will explore is how my son choose which college to attend).
The Difficult Decision-Making Process
STEP ONE- State Your Values.
What is important to you? What is the experience you wish to derive from these decisions? Sometimes you can write down specific wants. For example, before house shopping, you may determine a garage is extremely important to you because you value your car.
Real-Life Case- My son wrote down his values like- strong marketing department, vibrant sports team and warm weather. Then he touched on a singular value- the importance of a new experience. He wanted his college journey to be an introduction to a whole new world and in that regard, he determined it was important for him to go to a school outside the comfort zone of his midwest upbringing. He wanted to explore a different culture even if it was still within the USA.
STEP TWO- Pros And Cons
To me this is vital and a step many miss because it formalizes or makes it more like a business executive's approach. Yet it's an important ingredient since the decision will be based on logic and sound reasoning. Use your values from step one to formulate a chart.
Real-Life Case- For my son’s process we listed all the schools in his top 5 (or in his case the ones that he was accepted at) down the y-axis. Across the top, we listed columns like Strength in Desired Major/Sports/Warm Weather/Experience. Then graded each school on 1–10 in each category.
STEP THREE- Cost-Benefit
There is always some costs involved in every decision, even those that do not require a financial investment. Is the return on your time, energy and/or cash spent worth the decision's ramifications?
Real-Life Case- In spite of the favorable rating a university may have received in the pro/con analysis, certain prospective schools need to be filtered out because they were simply too expensive. In some cases you may decide the financial investment is worth the prestige of a degree from a certain university; however, that is not always the case.
STEP FOUR: Who Else Made This Decision?
Seek counsel from others. This is a fairly normal process. In deciding which flood restoration company to use when your basement floods, you might seek advice from your neighbor who had similar issue in past. This step is important in being proactive about your decision process. Think about others who were in the same boat and seek out their input.
Real-Life Case- My son called a few alumni of various schools and asked about their specific experience before making his choice.
STEP FIVE: Visualize Options
Imagine yourself on the other end of your decision. What will it look like to be there in your new home? Do you see yourself sitting at the desk doing the new job you are considering?
Real-Life Case- We had the ability to visit most of the schools on his list. It was only after the official tour, a self-guided walk around, and an investigation of the school's nightlife scene, that I asked my son the simple question- “Do you see yourself here for four years?”
STEP SIX- Write an Essay on Why
Many skip this step because it seems awkward. You will be surprised at how helpful this can be. Make a note to yourself building the case for your decision. You may realize there isn’t much substance to your decision and it's been driven more so by emotion than valuable inputs.
Real-Life Case- Did you ever wonder why most highly selective schools require an essay on the application? They know this decision is important and if a prospective student takes the time to write it down, it will instinctively become a more just decision. A prospective student may stop in the middle of writing down their thoughts and realize this is not the school for them. Writing it down makes it more personal. Writing it down makes it a clearer statement of your goals and what you wish to achieve with your decision. My son could only write such an essay about one school. The one he eventually choose.
STEP SEVEN- What Would You Advise A Friend?
Now that you have done the research, step away from the process by imagining yourself as a friend of someone about to make the same decision. What advice would you give her? Can you, as a friend, truly recommend one way or the other?
Real-Life Case- My son was all over this by the end of the process. “Of course, you should choose School X,” he told himself.
STEP EIGHT— How Does the Decision Coincide With Your True Character?
Is this who you are? The combination of values, aspirations, and passions is what makes us unique. We all have these virtues in our personalities; however, each one of us has slightly different versions of each. It’s the mix that makes us the person we are. If your big decision lines up with each of those character traits in the same way, you will find peace with your decision.
Real-Life Case- My son found pure happiness at LSU. It offered him the unique cultural perspective he was seeking including the ability to study abroad in his family’s ancestral home- Croatia. In addition, he basked in endless seasons of collegiate sports at the highest level in a warm climate. Leading up to his departure for his freshman year, he carried the added confidence of his decision because it was based on a thorough vetting of his options. He made a difficult but correct decision in the end. It was right because he worked through the conflicting influences of emotions and sound reasoning with a decision process.
