The 5-Step Decision Checklist

What's Inside

Every frozen decision follows the same pattern. A decision surfaces, your brain runs an automatic threat assessment, and before you consciously choose anything — you've already stalled. This checklist breaks that loop in five steps.

1. 1
   Quantify the Cost of Delay — Calculate what the delay has already cost you in dollars, time, or opportunity. Most owners feel the discomfort but not the cost.
2. 2
   Constrain Your Options — Narrow to two choices max. Score against three criteria max. More options produce paralysis, not better outcomes.
3. 3
   Set the Deadline Before You Analyze — The information on decision day will not be perfect. Set the container first, then gather information inside it.
4. 4
   Identify the Identity Story — Most frozen decisions aren't information problems. They're identity problems. Ask: what am I actually protecting by not deciding?
5. 5
   Make the Call — You've quantified, constrained, deadlined, and identified. There is nothing left to wait for.

This checklist comes from Both Sides of Yes — a weekly publication on decision psychology, leadership under pressure, and business strategy by Dr. Greg Moody.

Dr. Greg Moody

Decision Psychology · Leadership Under Pressure · Business Strategy
Author of 16 books · 8th Degree Black Belt · Ph.D.