S2E04 - The Basics - The number one tip I share to make decisions less stressful
In this enlightening episode of "Ask a Decision Engineer," host Michelle Florendo reveals her top tip for reducing stress in decision-making: getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Learn why this simple act can be so powerful and how to effectively analyze your written thoughts to gain clarity in your decision process.
“Get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. It seems like such a simple tip, but writing things down can be such a powerful act.”
Decision-making often feels overwhelming, with countless thoughts and emotions swirling in our minds. This episode offers a practical, yet powerful strategy to alleviate that mental burden and gain clarity. By exploring the benefits of writing things down and providing a structured approach to analyzing those written thoughts, Michelle equips listeners with a valuable tool for tackling any decision, big or small.
S2E4 | Basics: What Is the Number One Tip I Would Share to Make Decisions Less Stressful
By tuning in, you'll learn about the numerous benefits of putting your thoughts on paper, including unburdening your mind, decreasing stress levels, and slowing down your thinking for greater clarity. Michelle shares a real-life case study and offers a three-step process for analyzing your written thoughts to gain deeper insights into your decision-making process.
Whether you're grappling with a major life decision or simply looking to reduce daily stress, this episode will provide you with a practical, easy-to-implement strategy to make your decision-making process less stressful and more effective. Discover how this one simple act can transform your approach to decisions and lead to greater clarity and confidence in your choices.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Power of Writing Things Down [00:00:00]
Benefits of Writing Things Down [00:01:30]
Case Study: Coaching Through a Life Decision [00:02:45]
Analyzing Written Thoughts: Three Key Areas [00:04:00]
Recap and Conclusion [00:09:45]
Introduction: The Power of Writing Things Down [00:00:00]
Michelle introduces the episode's focus: sharing her number one tip for making decisions less stressful. Despite the wealth of decision-making techniques available, she emphasizes the simple yet powerful act of writing things down.
Benefits of Writing Things Down [00:01:30]
Michelle outlines several benefits of putting thoughts on paper:
Unburdening the mind
Decreasing stress and anxiety
Slowing down thought processes
Making thoughts more visible and easier to analyze
“By putting thoughts on paper, you relieve yourself of the mental load of carrying all of those thoughts and feelings in the background with you throughout the day, at night, 24/7.”
Case Study: Coaching Through a Life Decision [00:02:45]
Michelle shares a real-life example of coaching a woman through a complex life and career decision. She presents the client's stream of consciousness, demonstrating the jumble of thoughts and concerns that can occur during decision-making.
“One time when I was coaching a woman through a big life and career decision, I let her just verbalize her thoughts, and I was the one who took notes.”
Analyzing Written Thoughts: Three Key Areas [00:04:00]
Michelle explains how to examine written notes by focusing on three areas:
Identifying Top-Line Decisions:
Distinguish between what you can control and what you can't
Example: Deciding to look for a job vs. getting pregnant
When analyzing your written thoughts, it's crucial to identify the actual decisions you need to make. Michelle emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between what you can control and what you can't. This helps you focus your energy on the choices that are truly within your power to make.The Three Components of Any Decision:
Objectives: What matters in the outcome
Options: Various paths that are being considered
Information: Available data and information gaps
Michelle introduces the three key components of any decision, as taught by Ron Howard in Stanford's Decision Analysis course. By examining your written thoughts, you can identify your objectives (what truly matters to you in the outcome), the options you're considering, and the information you have or need. This structured approach helps clarify your decision-making process.Emotions vs. Thoughts:
Identify emotional responses
Separate thoughts from feelings
Recognize when your head and heart are not aligned
The final area of analysis involves distinguishing between emotions and thoughts in your written notes. Michelle stresses the importance of recognizing emotional responses and separating them from logical thoughts. This process can reveal when your head and heart are not aligned, which is often a source of decision-making stress. By identifying and acknowledging both the emotional and rational aspects of your decision, you can address conflicts between them and move towards a more balanced decision.
“When you’re looking through your notes, and you’re trying to figure out where is your starting point when it comes to objectives, options, and information, it’s also useful to notice which one is the most challenging [factor] to deal with at the moment.”
Recap and Conclusion [00:09:45]
Michelle summarizes the main points of the episode, reiterating the power of writing things down and the process of analyzing written thoughts. She encourages listeners facing big decisions to grab a pen and paper and start unburdening their minds.
“If you’re facing a big, stressful decision, grab a pen and piece of paper and unburden your mind. Let it pour out and then read through to see what emerges.”
Key Takeaways
Writing thoughts down can significantly reduce decision-making stress.
Analyze written thoughts by identifying decisions, components (objectives, options, information), and emotions vs. thoughts.
Distinguishing between what you can and can't control helps focus on actual decisions.
Recognizing misalignment between thoughts and emotions can be crucial for moving forward.
