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AI & ProductivityIntermediateAnalysis

Think Through a Decision

Analyze a personal or work decision with options, criteria, risks and a pre-mortem.

When to use it: Use when you're going back and forth on a decision.

Works with: Any chat assistant

Customize this prompt

What you'll need

  • Decision (required)
  • Options (required)
  • Priorities (required)
  • Concerns (optional)

The prompt

Act as a thoughtful advisor. Help me think through a decision, not make it for me.

The decision: [DECISION]
Options: [OPTIONS]
What I care about most: [PRIORITIES]
What worries me: [CONCERNS]

Please:
1. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions if something important is missing, then wait.
2. Compare the options against my priorities in a table.
3. Run a pre-mortem for the option I seem to favor: imagine it failed a year from now; what are the likely reasons?
4. Point out any assumptions I'm making and how I could test them cheaply.
5. Suggest what would make the decision easier to reverse.

Words in [BRACKETS] are placeholders. Fill them in below, or replace them yourself after copying.

Customize the prompt

Fields marked * are required. Leave optional fields empty to fill them in later.

What you'll get

Clarifying questions, an options table, a pre-mortem and assumptions to test.

How to use it

  1. Fill in the fields above (at least: Decision, Options, Priorities) and select Generate My Customized Prompt.
  2. Copy the result, or open it directly in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
  3. Review the answer and ask follow-up questions to refine it.
  4. Edit the final result in your own words and check any facts before using it.

Open the original prompt in an assistant

We never ask for your AI account login. ChatGPT and Claude open with the prompt filled in when it's short enough for a link; Gemini always needs a paste.

Tips

  • Tell the AI which option you're leaning toward; it can then challenge it properly.

Limitations

  • AI can make mistakes. Check names, facts and figures before you use the result.

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