I only have two options and both have real downsides. Is a table still worth it?

Yes — the table's value is in making the weights explicit, not in handling many options. With two options, write the criteria and weights first; if the winner flips when you swap two weights, you have found the real disagreement.

What if I fill in the table and still feel unsure?

Unsure is a normal state; the table tells you which criterion is causing the doubt. Look at the row where the scores diverge most from your intuition — that row is the conversation you were avoiding.

How long should I wait before deciding on something reversible?

Twenty-four hours is a common cooling-off period for reversible commitments. Longer waits on reversible decisions usually signal a trap — sunk cost or default bias — rather than missing information.

Can I use this for big life decisions, not just everyday ones?

The same frame-compare-check structure scales, but one-way doors deserve more than a table: a written rationale, a second reader if available, and a scheduled revisit date. The table is the starting point, not the whole process.

Ohmaybe — How to make decisions you will not regret

01

Frame before you compare

Write the goal in one sentence, list the hard constraints, cap the option list at five, and mark the decision reversible or one-way. Framing removes options before any scoring happens, which is where most of the time is saved.

02

Compare on paper, not in your head

A weighted criteria table with 3–6 criteria and weights summing to 100 turns an argument you are having with yourself into a document you can inspect. The totals are a snapshot of stated priorities, not a verdict.

03

Name the trap, then counter it

Sunk cost, default bias, choice overload, and analysis paralysis each have a cue you can learn to recognise and a countermeasure that takes minutes. Spotting the trap is half the work; the countermeasure is the other half.

What is the real question behind this choice?

Most stalled decisions are stalled because the stated question is not the question that matters.

Before comparing anything, write one sentence that starts with 'Which option lets me...' and names a goal you would recognise if you reached it. If the sentence needs the word 'best' with no object, the question is not framed yet.

Then list the constraints that are not negotiable: budget ceiling, deadline, legal limits, other people affected. Constraints cut the option set before any comparison happens, which is where most of the time saving lives.

Finally, mark the decision as reversible or one-way. Reversible decisions (a subscription, a trial run, a pilot) can be made quickly because the cost of being wrong is bounded. One-way decisions (a lease, a public commitment, a career move) deserve a written rationale you can reread in six months.

Goal sentence: one line, no adjectives without objects
Constraints: hard limits, written as numbers where possible
Option count: 2–5; more than 5 usually means the constraints are missing
Reversibility: reversible, cheaply reversible, or one-way

The method in six moves

Frame

Goal in one sentence

Start with 'Which option lets me...' and name a goal you would recognise if you reached it. If the sentence needs 'best' with no object, the question is not framed yet.

Frame

Hard constraints first

Budget ceiling, deadline, legal limits, people affected — written as numbers where possible. Constraints cut the option set before any scoring starts.

Compare

Weights before scores

Assign weights that sum to 100 before you score anything. Weights are where honest disagreement lives and where the table earns its keep.

Traps

Sunk cost cue

'We have already put in too much to stop.' The restart test: if you were starting fresh from today's state, would you begin this at all?

Traps

Analysis paralysis cue

'I need one more data point.' The countermeasure is a 30-minute time-box: decide at the end, or postpone with a date you write down.

Revisit

Revisit condition

Before deciding, write the single fact that would flip your winner. Reopen only when that fact actually changes — not when you feel uneasy.

A weighted table is not a calculator of truth; it is a record of what you said mattered.

If you cannot name the single fact that would flip your winner, waiting is discomfort, not information.

Common questions from people stuck between two options

I only have two options and both have real downsides. Is a table still worth it?: Yes — the table's value is in making the weights explicit, not in handling many options. With two options, write the criteria and weights first; if the winner flips when you swap two weights, you have found the real disagreement.
What if I fill in the table and still feel unsure?: Unsure is a normal state; the table tells you which criterion is causing the doubt. Look at the row where the scores diverge most from your intuition — that row is the conversation you were avoiding.
How long should I wait before deciding on something reversible?: Twenty-four hours is a common cooling-off period for reversible commitments. Longer waits on reversible decisions usually signal a trap — sunk cost or default bias — rather than missing information.
Can I use this for big life decisions, not just everyday ones?: The same frame-compare-check structure scales, but one-way doors deserve more than a table: a written rationale, a second reader if available, and a scheduled revisit date. The table is the starting point, not the whole process.

Sources and further reading

General references on decision theory, cognitive-bias research, and structured comparison methods; no single source is authoritative for every claim above.

A map of this guide's sections

Ohmaybe — How to make decisions you will not regret | ohmaybe.com