Better choices, simplified

Decisions are tough, but with the right approach, they don’t have to be. Here’s how I’m tackling mine.

Read on hasmukhkerai.com​

Read time: 3 mins

The end of the year often has two speeds: a rush until Christmas and a slow-down after. During that slower time, many of us reflect on the past year and set goals for the next.

This year, Reader, I’ve faced more decisions (big and small) than ever before. It was during a busy summer that I found The Decision Book – 50 Models for Strategic Thinking by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler.

It’s not the kind of book you read in one go. It’s a book you keep close, to pull out at a coffee shop or while waiting for a bus. A way to resist the urge to check your phone.

The book is packed with helpful models, but today I’m sharing two that feel especially useful for this season of self-reflection.

What is a decision-making model?

• Models simplify. They focus on what matters and ignore the rest.
• Models summarise. They explain complex ideas in simple ways.
• Models are visual. They use images to show hard-to-explain concepts.
• Models ask questions. They help you find your own answers.

Life can feel chaotic. Models help cut through the noise. They show what’s important so you can focus on that.

Some say models don’t reflect reality. That’s true. But they aren’t meant to. They are tools to help you think, not rules to follow.

A model is only as good as the person using it.

At a glance:

• The personal potential trap
• The crossroads model
• Interesting reads
• What did you learn in 2024?

The personal potential trap

Ever heard, "Such a budding talent", "So much promise", "So much potential"?

It sounds good, but it can hold you back.

It is the curse of talented people. "He just needs to find out what he really wants," people say.

Their flaws get ignored. Their wins seem effortless. But one day, they realise others who worked harder are ahead.

The personal potential trap can be precisely traced. In the model are three curves.

• my expectations of myself
• other people's expectations of me
• my actual achievements

When the gap gets too big, you hit a crisis. To escape the trap: promise less and deliver more.

Are you prepared to expect less of yourself than you think others expect of you?

The crossroads model

Feeling stuck? This model is designed to help find a path forward.

We'll have times in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads, and ask ourselves "Where now?" The crossroads model helps you to find direction.

Questions to ask:

1. Where have you been? What events and people shaped you?
2. What matters most? Write three things you value deeply.
3. Who matters most? List people who influence or are affected by your choices.
4. What’s holding you back? Deadlines, fears, or distractions?
5. What scares you? Write down what drains your energy.

Look at your notes. What's missing? What issues have arisen? Do the keywords you've written down tell the story of how you became who you are today? If necessary, jot down more keywords and questions.

Now look at the roads that lie ahead of you.

1. The road you’ve already walked.
2. The road you’ve always wanted to try.
3. The road you dream about.
4. The road others say is best.
5. The road you never considered.
6. The road back to where you felt safe.

You decide. Reader, when was the last time you did something for the first time?

Interesting reads

Here are some gems I found:

​The Beginning of Curiosity - Naval Ravikant ​

I particularly liked, "We admire wisdom because it cannot be borrowed and cannot be taught. It must be earned, as the product of experience and self-reflection."

​52 Things I Learned in 2024 – Tom Whitwell​

Personal favourites:

• Film studios now fake "behind-the-scenes" shots with CGI.
• Egypt is malaria-free after 100 years of work.
• Students with last names starting with U–Z get slightly worse grades because teachers are tired by the time they mark their papers.

What did you learn?

What’s one thing you learned this year? Reply to this email and share. Your insight could help us compile “52 Things The Learning Curve Readers Learned in 2024.”

Conclusion:

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See you in two weeks.

​Peace,

Has

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