Almost everything I write is about the point where methods no longer settle the question. This article is the exception.
These methods work. And they help in almost every situation. If you don't know them yet, you should definitely look into them.
Here you'll find what I've collected and tested over the years.
I'll keep adding to this list.
This version was updated on 13 Jun 2026.
The short version
Many methods help with decisions. They bring order to your thinking and make options easier to compare.
Over the years, I've collected and tested them. From the pros-and-cons list to the dice test, you'll find various approaches, clearly organized.
And at the end, I explain when even the best method stops working.
Contents:
What methods do
Every method in this article does essentially the same thing: it helps bring order to our thinking. We see our options more clearly and can compare them.
That may not sound exciting. But it's exactly what a decision needs.
All these methods assume your reference points are clear. When that's no longer the case and your framework is shaky, even the best method reaches its limits. More on this later.
Comparing is easier on paper
There's a good reason scientists in movies write long formulas on large blackboards. We think more clearly on paper than in our heads.
Writing down all your options has two advantages. First, they're no longer vague and shifting. Second, you see the facts in black and white.
That makes it easier to look at your options, sort and compare them.
Every method in this section works on the same principle: you get the decision out of your head and onto paper.
The pros-and-cons list
The most well-known method is simple, clear, and still widely used.
For each option, we create a list with two sections. One for reasons in favor, one for reasons against. The idea is that looking at it will show which option is best.
There's a common problem.
We write down everything that comes to mind. We might end up with 10 minor reasons in favor and 5 important reasons against. And we choose whichever side has more points.
The number of points alone isn't enough. What matters is how much weight each point carries.
More on this in the decision matrix.
Yes/No Matrix
This matrix is an extension of the pros-and-cons list. It works for yes-or-no decisions. "Should I or shouldn't I?"
There are four boxes: Pros and cons if I say yes. Pros and cons if I say no.
Some diagonal fields may contain similar points. The pros of saying yes may look like the cons of saying no. But they're different perspectives. And those differences often reveal the biggest insights. They reveal what's behind the hesitation.
The clear advantage here is that we also evaluate what we gain by saying no and lose by saying yes. So we get a fuller picture.
Apples and oranges: making options comparable
This is about how we want to use our resources, such as time or money.
The options are entirely different and can hardly be compared directly. Examples include investing in a new tool versus hiring a VA. Or putting your time into a new offer versus reworking an existing one.
It's easy to unconsciously frame one option more favorably than the other. Or we don't yet know what we're actually looking for.
As with the pros-and-cons list, we start by clarifying what each option actually means for us. But here we only focus on the positive side of each option.
We already know that every decision also has unwanted consequences. We accept that and take it into account. There will always be something we don't like.
With this method, we focus only on the best possible outcome.
We imagine that both options will deliver exactly what we're hoping for.
Then the only question left is: Which would I prefer?
It gives us clarity and lets us compare things that initially seemed completely different. We strip the decision down to what actually matters.
Decision matrix
The decision matrix works when there are multiple options and clear criteria to evaluate them against.
The easiest way is a table with all options across the top in columns and the criteria listed in rows on the left side.
We now score each option against the criteria. A good fit gets a high number; a poor fit gets a low one. It doesn’t matter whether the scale is 1–10 or something else. All we need is to use the same scale for all columns.
Once we've filled in all fields, we add up the scores. The option with the highest total is the favorite.
We can make it even better if we weight the criteria. We first consider how important each item is. Depending on its priority, it gets a specific factor. Now we multiply the score by that number.
This changes the total and gives a more accurate picture of which option fits best overall.
Still, the result may not match our gut feeling. If it doesn't, it's worth reviewing the criteria or the weighting. That helps us recognize what we're unconsciously prioritizing.
What's not here 1
Additional well-known methods:
- Eisenhower Method: Organizes decisions and tasks by urgency and importance into four categories. Better suited for prioritization than option comparison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#Eisenhower_method - SWOT Analysis: Systematic analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks. Often used for strategic decisions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis - Decision Tree: Visualizes sequential decisions and their possible consequences as a branching diagram. Useful when decisions depend on each other.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_tree - Weighted Scoring Matrix: The formal version of the weighted decision matrix. Options are scored and weighted against criteria for an objective comparison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_matrix
Photo: Peter Mollner | Unsplash
Decisions look different from a distance
It's hard to see clearly when you're standing right in front of a mountain. We just lack perspective. We need that distance to get a better view.
With decisions, we're usually facing a mountain of considerations, competing priorities, and above all our own inner doubts. All of which makes it hard to see clearly.
The methods in this section help you gain distance between yourself and the decision. We use imagination, time, or a different perspective to do that.
The 10/10/10 method
This is about creating distance through time.
Here's the idea.
We imagine it's already 10 hours, 10 weeks, or 10 months from now. Then we check how we feel about the decision. We can also use 10 days or 10 years. Whatever fits the situation.
Difficult decisions are emotionally charged. We don't evaluate them objectively, but rather from our current situation. Which makes some things seem bigger than they are, while we lose sight of the long-term effect.
This exercise helps us put our emotions in perspective. What feels urgent right now may mean nothing in 10 months.
The thought experiment makes the differences visible.
Thinking in reverse
The following approach was made famous by Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's longtime partner.
If you want to solve a problem, first ask how you could guarantee making it worse.
For decisions, this means we deliberately look for the worst option.
How can we guarantee failure? What would we definitely regret?
We can let go of the pressure to find the perfect solution.
This uncovers considerations that would otherwise stay hidden. We know what we want to avoid at all costs. And from that, we recognize what matters to us.
Best case and worst case
Naturally, we don't know the future. But we can play with it in our minds and remove some of its fear.
To do this, we imagine two scenarios.
What happens if everything goes well? What happens if everything goes wrong?
Again, this is about gaining distance from our current assessment. We deliberately go to the extremes. So we don't just focus on the most likely outcome.
Now we see both the real risks and the real opportunities.
The worst case is often the most revealing. It frequently turns out that the worst-case scenario is much better than feared. That takes the paralyzing pressure off the decision.
And with the best case, we can check whether we actually like the possible outcome.
What's not here 2
Additional well-known methods:
- Pre-Mortem: We imagine the decision has already been made and failed, then work backwards to analyze why. It helps identify blind spots before they become problems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-mortem - Regret Minimization: Looking at a current decision from the perspective of your 80-year-old self. Jeff Bezos uses this to separate short-term emotions from long-term significance.
https://www.britannica.com/money/regret-minimization-theory - Second-Order Thinking: Not just considering the direct consequences of a decision, but the consequences of those consequences. What happens next? And then what?
https://fs.blog/second-order-thinking/ - Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono. Six thinking perspectives applied systematically to a decision: facts, emotions, risks, creativity, optimism, process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats
Your gut already knows what your mind is still looking for
In an improv game once, I had to explain the most outrageous claims. Of course, hardly any of it made sense. And yet it's remarkable how we can find good reasons even for the most unusual statements.
They say we decide with our gut and justify it with our head.
We can also use that step deliberately.
When thinking only adds confusion and brings no new insights, we can tap directly into our intuition.
The methods in this section help you create the right conditions for that.
The best friend method
The previous section was about gaining distance to see things more clearly. Now we remove the emotional filter of fear, ego, and consequences.
When it comes to our own decisions, we often feel confused and stuck. But when it comes to our best friend, we see the situation more clearly. That's what we're going to use here.
The idea is simple. We imagine our best friend is stuck in exactly the same situation.
If she asked us for help, what would we tell her? And why?
There are some requirements:
It has to be someone who matters to us. We want what's best for her. And we want to know why we're giving that advice.
Now it's easier to see what we actually think is right and important. Just without the emotional pressure that clouds our judgment.
Body knowledge
When we talk about a "gut feeling," we usually mean things like a racing heart, sweaty hands, or shaky knees. These are reactions of the mind that show up physically.
But the body also processes information in another way. Thanks to neuroscience, we know that there are additional nervous systems in the body. They evaluate what they perceive and send signals before we consciously think about it.
This kind of knowledge shows up directly in the body, for example as a slight swaying, a heaviness in the chest, or a relaxation in the shoulders.
It's thinking without words.
To use it, we imagine each decision as concretely as possible and observe what happens in the body.
The difference between the reactions shows what we know without being able to name it.
Sleeping on it
The advice is old and usually right: Sleep on it.
It's about more than rest. While we sleep, our brain keeps working and processes information that wasn't available when we were awake. It evaluates things differently and makes new connections.
Emotions are often less intense during sleep. At least when we can actually relax. If we go to bed and keep thinking about the question, we're not sleeping on it. We're ruminating. Then we go in circles and get nowhere.
To get a good answer during sleep, we need to let the question go for at least a few hours.
Sometimes even entirely new ideas and solutions emerge.
The success question
Decisions become difficult when we're afraid of making the wrong one. We don't want to jeopardize our success under any circumstances. But such fears cloud our judgment.
We unconsciously look for the safe option. We want to minimize risk and have good reasons ready in case something goes wrong. But with that rational approach, we don’t necessarily recognize what we actually want.
There's a question that can help us here:
If we knew we'd be equally successful either way, what would we do?
We assume we'll be successful no matter what.
That changes the conditions and removes "success" from the equation. What's left is the option that was hidden behind the fears.
Read more:
What's not here 3
Additional well-known methods:
- Morning Pages by Julia Cameron: Three pages of free writing every morning to clear the mental noise and access what's underneath.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/03/morning-pages-change-your-life-oliver-burkeman
Photo: Martin de Pooter | Unsplash
At some point, you have to decide
And finally, there comes a point where we simply have to decide.
When there's no time left, when nothing else works, when it's now or never, the only thing that helps is taking the plunge.
But there are still ways to make that leap manageable.
Here you'll find methods to help you do just that.
And they'll also show you how to recognize when you've reached that point.
Deadlines
Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
The same applies to decision-making. Without a deadline, deliberation lasts as long as we allow it. Decisions stay open.
That's not a sign of weak willpower. As long as we don't set a fixed deadline, we'll always find a reason to wait for more clarity or hold off a little longer.
More information rarely brings more clarity. At some point, you know enough to decide.
A deadline helps with this.
It turns "someday" into "now." The deadline can come from outside or we can set it ourselves. What matters is that it's binding.
A deadline you move whenever you feel like it is no deadline.
The return option
Many of our decisions feel final. But most of them aren't. And yet that feeling can hold us back unnecessarily.
In such cases, we can use the following questions to check how final the decision really is: Can this be undone later? Is there a way to decide differently down the road?
If the decision can be corrected without much effort, things get easier. We don't need to think of everything, because we can adjust as needed.
If not, we want to know that. Then it's about weighing the key consequences and deciding in a way we can stand by.
It's remarkable how rarely the consequences are as final as we initially feared.
Day X
For some decisions, simply thinking them through isn't enough. We can only find out if they're right for us by trying them out. That's what Day X is for.
Day X is a concrete date we set for ourselves. Until that date, we commit to a decision. We treat it as settled and implement it consistently, without questioning.
When doubts or concerns come up, we remind ourselves of our commitment.
Only that way can we seriously test whether this is the right solution for us. We live with it and all its consequences for a set period of time.
On Day X, we honestly assess what we've experienced. We evaluate what we want to keep and what we want to change.
This requires that we've actually chosen a specific Day X. And that we've truly stuck with the decision until then. Otherwise the result won't be reliable.
Deliberately postponing with Day X
We can also use the method when we consciously choose not to decide right now. We set a Day X, when we'll revisit the question. And until then, the topic is off-limits.
The dice test
The dice test is a method I like to use with my clients in coaching.
When we've tested, considered, and evaluated everything and still can't reach a decision, we need a more radical approach: dice.
I have a nice collection of 6-, 10-, and 20-sided dice. Any kind of dice will do.
Depending on the number of options, we assign a range. For one option, it's "should I or shouldn't I." For two or more, one range for each.
Now we roll the dice. That’s it.
Of course the result isn't binding. But our spontaneous reaction shows us what we want. Do we feel disappointment or relief?
Just like that, things are clearer.
And if we don't feel anything, we just go with whatever came up.
What's not here 4
Additional well-known methods:
- The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins: Count backwards from 5 and follow your first impulse immediately, before your rational thinking takes over.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/18/mel-robbins-this-5-second-rule-will-help-you-get-anything-done.html
When no method works anymore
What all these methods have in common is that you need to know exactly what you want and what guides your judgment.
If you know that, they work. If not, even the best method won't get you far.
Then the difficulty isn't with deciding. It's with the underlying framework.
Your existing reference points no longer settle the question. No matter how good the method.
There comes a moment when decisions get harder, even when everything in the business is running well and you have the knowledge and experience. Every entrepreneur reaches the point where she seriously questions her direction.
That requires a new kind of clarity. Knowing who you are and who you want to be. And how that shows up in your business and your personal life.
It doesn’t require better methods, but a new framework.
The list is not complete and never can be.
If you know a method that's missing here, write it in the comments. I'll look into it and add it with a link to your website, if you'd like.