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How to take the best decisions ever?

How to take the best decisions ever?

Reversible & irreversible decisions.

Chandan Karkera
August 24th, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

After reading this post, we’ll see:

👉 What are reversible & irreversible decisions.
👉 How to use them in your life.
👉 Bonus - prompt!

TL; DR;

Reversible = easily undone, minimal consequences. Act quickly. Pivot if needed.

Irreversible = lot of pain to undo, major consequences. Consider second - order effects. Proceed carefully.

We take ~ 35,000 decisions / day (according to science). And we spend ~ 2 Hrs. / day deciding.

From the mundane (what socks should I wear today...?)

To the important ( What certification will boost my career?)

Confession - I used to suck at decision - making.

🔴 Anxiety.

🔴 Thinking in circles.

🔴 Wasting time, missed opportunities

After the decision?

❌ What if this was the worst decision ever?

❌ What if everything goes wrong?

❌ I'm failing...

Not fun at all. Thankfully, I came across a genius framework by Jeff Bezos to solve this problem. The idea is simple - not all decisions are equal.

Enter the reversible & irreversible decision framework. It helps you group decisions based on impact and reversibility. So the pressure on you reduces.

What….?

Imagine you have 2 job offers. One offers stability (and a paycheck...). The other offers the thrill of a startup. With rapid growth and risk.

You're deciding, afraid of making a wrong choice. Now, imagine you could undo your decision. How will you think & act?

A personal scenario. Deciding on marriage, and later, children. Unlike the previous scenario, this cannot be undone (atleast, not without a lot of pain).

Knowing you cannot undo this decision, how will you think & act?

How to use this in your life?

Here are some common scenarios


Reversible	- Trying a new hairstyle	- Implementing a new project management tool
Reversible	- Experimenting with a new hobby	- Trying a different marketing strategy
Reversible	- Choosing a vacation destination	- Reorganizing office space
Reversible	- Buying a new outfit	- Attending a networking event
Reversible	- Switching your workout routine	- Taking an online course
Reversible	- Changing your meal plan	- Testing a new software for a month
Reversible	- Decorating a room in a new style	- Asking for feedback on a project
Reversible	- Joining a new social group	- Participating in a temporary project
Irreversible	- Getting married	- Quitting your job
Irreversible	- Having children	- Merging with another company
Irreversible	- Buying a house	- Making significant investments
Irreversible	- Getting a permanent tattoo	- Launching a new product line
Irreversible	- Moving to a new city	- Signing a long-term lease
Irreversible	- Committing to a long-term relationship	- Establishing a partnership agreement
Irreversible	- Choosing a career path	- Making a major hiring decision

Here it is, from the horse’s mouth:

Bonus - prompt!

Because you guys are awesome, here is a free prompt for you to help.

Think like the world's best consultant. You have 20 years work experience. You're highly - sought after and have coached the world's best executives. And you're considered the world's top expert on decision making.

I want you to help me with a decision I'm trying to make. The framework you can use is the reversible Vs irreversible decisions framework. Jeff Bezos popularized it. This is the decision I'm trying to make:

[ ENTER YOUR SITUATION HERE]

Take a deep breath. You're doing great.

That’s it!!

I hope this concept helps you take the best decisions ever . If you found this helpful, share with someone who will benefit.