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

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

Framing a Choice

Define the real question, list constraints, and separate reversible from one-way decisions before comparing anything.

Framing starts with a single question: what would change if this decision went the other way? If nothing observable changes, you do not have a decision — you have a preference, and preferences do not need tables.

Write the goal as one sentence with a measurable end state. "Cut my monthly spending by €200" is a goal; "spend less" is a wish. The measurable version gives the comparison table something to check the options against, and it gives you a revisit condition later.

The signature mark of this site, drawn as a plate

On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.

Constraints come next, and they must be written before you look at any options. A hard constraint eliminates an option outright — a lease that forbids pets, a budget ceiling of €1,400 per month, a start date that cannot move. A preference only shifts a score. Mixing the two categories is the most common reason a finished table feels wrong even when the arithmetic checks out.

Separate reversible from one-way decisions, because reversibility sets the time budget. A reversible call — one you can undo in about 30 days for less than it cost to start — deserves ten minutes and a written comparison. A one-way call deserves a cooling period of at least 48 hours between the draft table and the final decision.

Finally, write the revisit condition while framing, not after deciding. "If my commute exceeds 40 minutes for two consecutive weeks" is a trigger you can act on; "if it does not work out" is a sentence that never fires. The framing stage is where that condition is cheapest to write and easiest to forget.

  • Goal: one sentence, one measurable end state — no numbers, no comparison.
  • Constraints: written before options are listed; hard constraints eliminate, preferences score.
  • Reversibility: undoable in ~30 days at low cost = decide fast; one-way = 48-hour cooling period.
  • Revisit condition: a measurable trigger written during framing, not after deciding.

Further reading