Better Decisions Start with Better Questions

In 2021, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life.

I left my career in medical sales to follow my dream of running a career coaching business.

For nearly two years, I’d been working flat-out on this side hustle.

I poured everything into growing it.

Evenings. Weekends. Holidays. You name it.

It reached a point where I had no more spare time.

I knew there was no way my business could thrive unless I was fully committed.

Fuelled by optimism and ￡10,000 of savings, I took the leap.

At first, it felt like I had made the right call. Clients came in, income started to flow, and things were looking promising.

But not long after, the momentum slowed.

My business wasn’t growing as quickly as I had hoped.

The reality of running it alone—without a steady salary—hit hard.

I made mistakes, and those mistakes led to a period of intense struggle. There were times when my wife and I had to make impossible choices, like deciding between buying food or nappies for the kids.

At the peak of this struggle, I got several tempting job offers.

Suddenly, I was faced with tough decisions.

Do I take the highest-paying job and secure financial stability? Do I go part-time and try to keep my business alive? Or do I take a job that would offer me an easy path back into a full-time career?

The business I’d worked so hard to build was on the line, and I was desperate to make it work.

At that moment, I realised I couldn’t just react.

I needed a way to make the right decision—not just for the short term, but for the future I wanted.

Why Frameworks Are So Important

That’s when I turned to a decision-making framework.

It was this structured approach that helped me sift through the noise and ultimately make the choice I wouldn’t regret.

When the pressure is on, our natural instinct is to react quickly, aiming to relieve the discomfort of uncertainty.

But good decisions are rarely made in haste.

If you want to make better choices, you need a framework—a set of questions that prompt you to think clearly, not react impulsively.

Here’s what I learned and the three essential questions that guided me through that challenging time:

1. What Will Your Future Self Thank You For?

It’s easy to focus on a short-term fix when faced with a tough decision.

You’re stressed and under pressure, and all you want is a solution that will remove the stress.

?But we all know short-term satisfaction can lead to long-term regret.

Take a moment to consider not just how you’ll feel now but over the long term.

Will the decision you make today move you closer to the future you want?

Let’s say you’re debating whether to take a new job. The salary is tempting, but the job itself doesn’t move you closer to your ideal career path. In ten months, the money may feel good in your bank account, but will it still feel right in ten years when you’ve veered off the path you truly wanted?

Here’s what to do next:

• Think about the life you’re aiming for—personally, professionally, financially.
• Use the 10:10:10 framework – how will you feel ten minutes, ten months AND ten years from now.
• Ask yourself if this decision fits into that 10-year vision.

The right choice is the one your future self will look back on and say, “I’m glad I did that.

2. What Are the Benefits of Your Worst-Case Scenario?

We all fear the worst.

What if you make the wrong choice and everything falls apart? What if you fail?

It’s natural to want to avoid these fears, but ignoring them only heightens your anxiety and leads to paralysis.

Instead, flip the script.

Imagine you’re thinking of starting a business but worry about it failing. What would happen if it did? You’d likely learn valuable skills, make new contacts, and break that invisible barrier that’s stopped you taking the step quicker.

Here’s how to use this approach:

• Imagine the worst possible outcome—seriously, dive into it.
• Ask yourself: what could you gain from that situation?
• List three potential benefits you might gain from it.

You might be surprised at how even the worst-case outcomes have an upside.

When you find the opportunity in the worst-case scenario, you not only ease your fears but also open yourself to growing.

3. What Is the Cost of Not Taking Action?

Indecision is a decision in itself—one with its own set of consequences.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that doing nothing is the safest option, but in reality, it comes with a price. Every moment you spend stuck in indecision is a moment of progress lost.

What opportunities are slipping through your fingers while you wait?

How many times have you thought about asking for a promotion at work but kept putting it off?

Every month that passes without making your move is another month where you’re not earning more, not advancing, and not getting closer to where you want to be.

The cost of inaction compounds over time.

So, what’s next?

• Take a minute to reflect on the impact of staying where you are.
• Write down what you stand to lose by not taking action—whether it’s time, money, or personal growth.
• Think about how you would feel if things NEVER changed.

Seeing this in black and white is the push you need to get out of your comfort zone and make a move.

Turning Pressure Into Clarity

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds of decision-making, fretting over every possible outcome.

But next time you’re facing a tough choice, don’t rush it. Take a moment to reflect.

These questions are designed to provide clarity and direction, guiding you to make confident decisions that move you forward.

Because making no decision can be just as damaging as making the wrong one.

Practical Steps You Can Take Today

It’s not enough to just ask these questions—you need to act on them.

Here’s how to get started right now:

1. Get Clear on Your Long-Term Vision: Write down where you want to be in 10 years. Use this as a filter for your decisions. If a choice doesn’t bring you closer to that future, reconsider.
2. Embrace the Worst-Case Scenario: Spend five minutes today writing out your worst-case scenario for a big decision you’re facing. Then, list at least three potential positives from that outcome.
3. Calculate the Cost of Inaction: Write down what you’re missing out on by not taking action. Use this as motivation to make a move—whether it’s sending that email, having that conversation, or taking that leap.

It’s time to stop procrastinating and start taking bold, confident steps toward the future you want.

Better decisions really do start with better questions.

What’s your next move?

?