Decision Frameworks

Frameworks Turn Gut Feelings Into Clear Answers

A decision framework is a structured process that ensures you consider what matters, weigh it appropriately, and reach a conclusion you can explain and defend. Without a framework, you’re just thinking in circles.

The Weighted Decision Matrix

The most versatile framework for comparing options:

Help me build a weighted decision matrix for this decision:

Decision: [what you're choosing between]
Options: [list your 2-4 options]

Step 1 — Define criteria:
Help me identify the 5-8 most important factors for this decision.
For context: [describe your priorities, constraints, and what matters most]

Step 2 — Weight criteria:
Assign weights that total 100% based on my priorities.
[Tell AI which factors matter most to you]

Step 3 — Score each option:
Rate each option 1-10 on each criterion.
For each score, explain your reasoning.

Step 4 — Calculate and interpret:
Show the weighted scores and overall totals.
Highlight where the winning option is strong and where it's vulnerable.

Present as a clean table I can review and adjust.

✅ Quick Check: Why should you define criteria BEFORE looking at options?

Because if you define criteria while looking at options, you unconsciously weight the criteria to favor the option you already prefer. If you’re leaning toward Option A and it has a great location, you’ll rank location as highly important. If you’d defined criteria first (before knowing which option is best at location), you might have ranked it lower. Setting criteria first removes this bias.

Pros-Cons-Mitigations (PCM) Analysis

An upgrade to the traditional pros-and-cons list:

Help me do a Pros-Cons-Mitigations analysis for this decision:

Decision: [what you're considering]
Context: [relevant background]

For each option:
1. List all significant PROS (with impact rating: high/medium/low)
2. List all significant CONS (with impact rating: high/medium/low)
3. For each CON rated medium or high:
   - Can it be mitigated? How?
   - What would mitigation cost (time, money, effort)?
   - After mitigation, what's the residual impact?
4. Identify any UNMITIGABLE cons (true deal-breakers)
5. Summary: Which option has the best pro-to-mitigated-con ratio?

Decision Trees

For sequential decisions with uncertainty:

Help me map a decision tree for this situation:

Decision: [what you're deciding]
Key uncertainty: [what you don't know that matters]

For each option:
1. What are the possible outcomes? (best case, likely case, worst case)
2. What's the rough probability of each outcome?
3. What's the impact of each outcome (financial, emotional, career)?
4. If that outcome occurs, what's the next decision I'd face?

Map this as a branching tree:
Option A → Outcome 1 (probability, impact) → Next decision
         → Outcome 2 (probability, impact) → Next decision
Option B → Outcome 1 (probability, impact) → Next decision
         → Outcome 2 (probability, impact) → Next decision

Which path has the highest expected value considering both probability and impact?

The 10-10-10 Framework

For emotionally charged decisions:

Apply the 10-10-10 framework to my decision:

Decision: [what you're choosing]
Options: [your options]

For each option, analyze:
- How will I feel about this in 10 MINUTES? (immediate emotional reaction)
- How will I feel about this in 10 MONTHS? (medium-term consequences)
- How will I feel about this in 10 YEARS? (long-term significance)

Which option looks best when you remove the short-term emotional weight?
What does this reveal about what actually matters?

✅ Quick Check: Why does the 10-10-10 framework separate three time horizons?

Because decisions that feel terrifying in the moment (10 minutes) often feel trivial in the long run (10 years), and vice versa. Quitting a stable job to start a business feels scary right now. In 10 months, you’ll know if it’s working. In 10 years, you’ll either have built something meaningful or have a great story and experience. The 10-minute fear dominates most decisions — but the 10-year perspective reveals what actually matters.

Choosing the Right Framework

Exercise: Apply a Framework to Your Decision

Take the decision you identified in Lesson 1:

1. Use the weighted matrix prompt to score your options across 5-8 criteria
2. Apply the 10-10-10 framework to check your emotional reasoning
3. If your decision has uncertainty, map a simple decision tree
4. Compare the results — do the frameworks agree or disagree?

Key Takeaways

• Weighted decision matrices force you to define what matters (and how much) before evaluating options — preventing biased scoring
• Pros-Cons-Mitigations upgrades simple lists by asking “what would make each con acceptable?” — transforming deal-breakers into manageable challenges
• Decision trees map branching paths for sequential decisions — essential when the best choice depends on uncertain future outcomes
• The 10-10-10 framework separates short-term emotional reactions from long-term significance
• Define criteria before examining options to prevent unconscious bias toward your preferred choice
• Different situations call for different frameworks — match the tool to the decision type

Up Next: In the next lesson, you’ll learn to detect cognitive biases — the invisible mental shortcuts that distort your judgment without you knowing.