4 Cartesian Questions Actually Proven To Make Better Decisions
Should I stay or should I go? No, it doesn't have to do with the song by "The Clash". It has to do with a conversation I had with a friend about a decision he had to make. He was considering traveling for a conference in which he was invited to participate. However, he would have to pay his own expenses (airfare, hotel, meals). Without an income at the time, he was unsure if he should spend the money and if he would gain enough value from the conference.
To help him with his decision, I asked him the four Cartesian questions instead of making the usual pros and cons lists. This had him dive deeper into the potential negative and positive consequences of his decision.
About a month later, I checked in with him, and he did indeed decide to pay his own expenses and attend the conference. He said he learned so much and gained more valuable contacts -- he was pretty excited about his ROI (return on investment), and his enthusiasm was infectious. He said the questions really helped him with his difficult decision. I hope this easy tool will help you as well.