Filters For Decision Making
Humans are fundamentally biased. Myself included. This means that we have to give ourselves mental walking sticks so we don’t fall down. Just like an elderly gentleman with a walking stick, he can probably walk a fair distance without it, but with it he is more capable.
I like to use questions to help me make better decisions. Every human does this on a daily basis. Is my alarm currently ringing? If so, then it’s time to wake up. We can add multiple layers of questions to help us make increasingly more complex decisions.
Again adding multiple questions together is something that you are also already familiar with. When it comes to dating, many people have a “list”. A set of criteria that their potential partner should meet. Blue Eyes, Blonde Hair, Neat, Funny and Intelligent.
A set of well thought out questions can help us make complex decisions. This technique is especially useful when you find yourself having to make the same decision on a regular basis.
Here is an example of a Filter for decision making:
“What are the 3 fundamental reasons why I should spend money?”
- Will this create more time for me?
- Will this create more financial wealth for me?
- Will this give me more vitality?
Only if the answer to the above 3 questions is yes, do I actually proceed with the purchase. this is a silly example of the utility of using questions for decision making.
Filters are criteria that have to be met, or fall into a range to determine an outcome.