10/10/10 – Strategy for Decision Making
So often I hear about the struggles a client is having with making decisions. So much time is spent trying to decide, that It gets pushed to the side (procrastination), and whatever it is that needs to get done, doesn’t. And when it doesn’t get done, it then leads to rumination (focused attention on a thought), which then creates anxiety and stress. Vicious cycle!
I came across a YouTube video (link below) by author and business journalist Suzy Welch, in which she discusses what she calls her “10/10/10” strategy for decision making. Suzy says that when making a decision that you’re struggling with, ask yourself the following 3 questions:
If I choose “this”, how will I feel in 10 minutes?
How will I feel in 10 months?
How will I feel in 10 years?
Why does this strategy work so well? According to Suzy Welch, because it forces you to come to terms with what is really important to you, what really matters. She goes on to say that if you attach your values to your decision making (what you care most about), that’s when it is truly “transformative”. Once you know what it is that you value, you then can ask yourself the three questions.
If you’re not sure what your values are, Suzy suggests that you ask yourself these 3 questions (I guess Suzy likes the number 3?):
- Fast forward 20, 30 or even 40 years — what would make you cry with regret?
- What do you want people to say about you when you’re not in the room?
- What did you love or hate about your childhood? Do you have more of what you loved in your life, and are you letting go of what you didn’t like?
Next time you’re struggling with a decision, consider what your values are, then ask yourself the 3 questions: How will I feel in 10 minutes? In 10 months? In 10 years?
The bonus to trying this strategy – it gets you thinking about your values. Why are our values so important? Because when we live by our values, we are living an authentic life. When we are out of alignment with our values, that’s when we struggle. (Just something to consider.)