productivity•6 prompts
Decision Making Prompts
Good decisions require clear thinking. These prompts help you analyze options, consider tradeoffs, and avoid common decision traps.
1. Weighted Pros/Cons
Best: ClaudeHelp me decide between [options]. For each option, list pros and cons. Then weight each factor by importance (1-10). Calculate a score for each option. But also flag intangibles that scores might miss.
Numbers help but don't decide. Use them to clarify, not replace, judgment.
2. 10/10/10 Analysis
Best: ClaudeApply the 10/10/10 framework to this decision: [describe decision]. How will I feel about this choice in: 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 years? Help me see past immediate emotions to long-term impact.
Time perspective reveals what really matters. Short-term fear often misleads.
3. Pre-Mortem
Best: ClaudeRun a pre-mortem on this decision: [describe option I'm leaning toward]. Assume it failed spectacularly. What went wrong? What did I miss? What risks did I underestimate? Use this to improve the decision or validate it.
Pre-mortems surface blind spots before they become problems.
4. Reversibility Check
Best: ClaudeHelp me assess the reversibility of this decision: [describe]. Is this a one-way door or two-way door? What would it cost to reverse? How long until I know if it's working? This determines how much analysis it deserves.
Reversible decisions should be made quickly. Irreversible ones deserve care.
5. Second-Order Effects
Best: ClaudeMap the second and third-order effects of this decision: [describe]. First, what happens immediately. Second, what does that cause. Third, what does that cause. Look for unintended consequences and hidden opportunities.
First-order thinking is obvious. The edge is in second-order effects.
6. Values Alignment
Best: ClaudeCheck this decision against my values. My decision: [describe]. My core values: [list]. Does this choice align with who I want to be? Where does it conflict? What would my best self decide?
When options are close, let values break the tie.
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