Okay, so I gave this thing a shot recently, this method someone mentioned, kinda like predicting outcomes by digging really deep into one option at a time. Sounded interesting, maybe useful for tricky decisions, you know?
First thing I did was clear some time. Couldn’t just do this on the fly. I grabbed a plain notebook and a pen, old school style. Had this lingering project idea, something I wanted to build in the backyard, but I kept getting stuck on how to actually start and which way to go about it. Too many options floating around in my head.
Getting Down to It
So I sat down. The core idea I picked up was to not flit between possibilities. You pick one path, just one, and you follow it in your mind as far as you can. Like, really map it out. So, I chose the first approach for my backyard project – let’s call it the ‘simple kit’ option.
Here’s what I actually did:
- I started writing down every single step I could think of for just this one option. From ordering the kit, to preparing the ground, needing specific tools, potential hiccups, how long each part might take.
- I forced myself to stick with it. Even when I thought, “Oh, but what about that other way of building it from scratch?”, I pulled myself back. Just focus on the kit path.
- It felt weirdly intense. Like drilling down a deep hole. You uncover stuff you hadn’t considered. Found myself listing potential problems I’d usually just gloss over.
- Spent a good chunk of time just on this single path. Filled a couple of pages in the notebook.
Was it Easy? Nope.
Honestly, it was tough to stay disciplined. My brain wanted to compare and contrast constantly. It felt unnatural to ignore the other options completely while I was deep in one. Also, it took way longer than just jotting down a quick pros and cons list. It felt kinda slow and heavy.
So, What Happened?
Well, after I exhausted everything I could think of for that first option, I felt I understood it inside out. The prediction part wasn’t about guessing the future perfectly, more like building a really solid picture of one possible future. When I finally let myself think about the other options, I had a very clear benchmark to compare them against.
Did it magically solve everything? Nah. But it did make the final decision feel more solid. I had genuinely explored the ‘kit’ path’s difficulties and requirements in detail. I didn’t end up going that route, funnily enough, but the process of examining it so closely clarified why another path was actually better for me.
It’s a bit of a demanding technique, requires patience. Definitely not something for every little choice. But for a bigger decision, where you feel stuck going in circles? Yeah, I can see how forcing yourself to drill down like that could break the loop. It’s like you fully commit to exploring one road before even looking at the map for others. Worth trying if you’re stuck, I reckon.
