Check Whether a Decision Can Wait
Added 2026-11-02
Do not let the feeling of urgency compress your thinking time.
I am being pushed to decide (details below). Do: 1) judge whether this decision actually has a deadline, and who set it; 2) what waiting a week would cost — opportunity, money, relationship; 3) what it costs to fix a wrong decision made now; 4) propose a split: do the reversible part now, wait on the rest; 5) separate the real constraint from the pressure in the push. Do not just say "take it easy".
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
决定的质量，常常取决于你有没有争取到那一天。
Try tweaking it
- Ask what evidence would overturn the judgement.
- Have it argue both sides with three reasons each.
What you should get
- A decision table: assumptions, evidence, counter-evidence
- A next action with an observable signal
Common mistakes
- Asking only "should I?" and getting equally valid answers both ways.
- Never asking for counter-examples, so you only hear support.
How to check the output
- It states what evidence would overturn the conclusion.
- Both sides are argued, with assumptions marked as such.
Where it works
- Good for: splitting a decision into assumptions, evidence and counter-cases, leaving the call to you.
- Watch out: ask what evidence would overturn the judgement, or you will only hear supporting reasons.