The 30-Second Decision-Making Trick I Use on Everything

"When you have to make a hard decision, flip a coin. Why? Because when that coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you're hoping for." — Unknown

I may be young, but I have a notorious track record when it comes to making choices that aren't in my best interest for a high-quality life. This comes as a surprise to many people, but I think we can all relate. Constantly pressuring ourselves to change, picking ourselves apart, chasing outward success, money, and appearance over things that actually lead to a fulfilling life. It often isn't until things go wrong, until we can't hold it all together, until it boils over, that we realize we've made a mistake. This has been the soundtrack of my life for years.

Recently, this happened to me again with a few high-stakes situations in my life. I realized I needed a change. So I've started using a simple framework (given to me by my life coach) to help me reevaluate my commitments, choices, and desires. And I want to share it with you.

Here it is:

Why do I want to do this? What's genuinely pulling you toward this? Not what you think you should want. What you actually want.

How would this benefit me? Get specific. What does your life look like on the other side of saying yes?

Why don't I want to do this? Be honest. Fear, comfort, timing, effort. Name the real resistance, not the excuse version.

How might this negatively impact me? What's the actual cost? Not the worst-case-scenario spiral, but the realistic tradeoffs.

Which reasons do I like the most? This is the coin flip moment. Look at your answers above and notice which ones you're drawn to. That's your gut talking.

I highly recommend putting pen to paper while you work through these questions. And this can apply to any area of your life: professional, social, emotional, spiritual, you name it. It's easy to think you can bypass this process. Maybe you find it unnecessary. But I guarantee if you practice it, your life will get better, and you'll probably save yourself some trouble along the way.