How to Make Difficult Decisions (without overthinking)

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Every day we make choices that have the potential to change the course of our lives. But, we almost never stop and think about how to get better at making these choices. Luckily, that’s what we’re talking about in this video, enjoy x
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00:00 Intro
01:00 I in one year's time, what would I regret not having started today?
02:26 What would my mental board of advisors say?
04:09 What is the risk of doing nothing?
04:50 What core value am I optimising for?
05:19 When I'm on my deathbed, what will I regret having or not having done?
06:55 How certain am I about decision and how certain do I need to be?
07:46 How might I treat this like an experiment?
09:55 Do I want to be the sort of person who does X?
11:19 Will this energise me or will it drain me?
12:36 The Quitting Framework
13:40 Tim Ferriss' Fear Setting Exercise
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[@aliabdaal]

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[@tonitony3818]

ali my jaana you are the best choice i made.

“The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of rejection” this is one of my mantras…

[@christopherjurawan6990]

use rejection as an opportunity to grow and not as pain

[@sakura-yy]

I hope myself could be more brave

[@topthinkug]

@@christopherjurawan6990 🤝🙏❤️❤️❤️

[@Abdush_]

I am 22 and have enough regrets. I don't want more of it.

[@francisco.j]

that quote seems really adequate for relationships...

[@artusfarfalla]

1. The BEST decision is the right decision. 2. The second BEST decision is the wrong decision. 3. The third BEST decision is no decision at all! Don't be afraid to DECIDE! I've been reminded of the roman proverb: prior tempore, potior iure.😉

[@danf4447]

as a pilot i can teell you the wrong decision is NOT a second best decision

[@nigelasipa4150]

The technique I use for decision making is from Struthless: 1)What is the problem/decision? 2)What are your options? 3)Are they mutually exclusive? 4)Time yourself 60 seconds and decide which option would you choose? 5)What did you decide and why? (name at least 2 reasons) 6)Could you live with this outcome?

[@tatianat604]

Thank you so much for this!🙏🏾

[@joshyycute5823]

Bro you kinda saved my life, thank u

[@nmollaei4081]

Dame tnx bro that was really helpful❤

[@guledyusuf6368]

Thank you for sharing.

[@fulldakait1408]

Hahaha thats like so objective and will never solve life problems. Good for professional decisions though

[@parvathijayaprakash7075]

In my mental board of advisors Ali Abdal will be there

[@TeachingMonk]

Ha ha!

[@bishnugogoi4520]

Two most Important Journal prompts that I use to ask everyday are 1. In the Morning, what can I do something different today? & 2. At Night, what did I learn something new today? ❤Thanks Ali for encouraging my Productivity Soul.

[@hyacinthzia9892]

I absolutely love all of this man’s videos

[@marinamartin9484]

This came right on time❤️ thank you for all the quality content you make!

[@ramjplays1688]

You really pose questions that ate effective in making me decide on things more cautious but in an effective and organized way. Thank you!

[@Bugscanfly]

you're literally one of my board of advisors, thanks so much for the uploads and content, it has been nothing short of lifechanging and inspiring.

[@pj_rwt]

Thank you Ali Abdaal and team for your efforts and this wonderful creation

[@NbaLive4ever]

Love the experiment question. I have so many things I wanted to do but don’t cuz it’s overwhelming for me to commit off the bat. Great video!

[@JeanSeptember25]

I love the quitting framework. Didn't know I was doing it by default already but it's great to see it written out like that. :) Great video, Ali!

[@robster7012]

Ali, you are of the brightest people I have never met. You could turn your hand to anything I reckon. Appreciate your vids 😃

[@dianarustamova8921]

right now I am 16 and I really wanna study in the usa cz it is really boring me to continue living here in my country in which I spend my 16 years without even any small trip to other city of my country now I am learning English I love it cz day by day I am enlarging my knowledge it is never boring and Ali Abdaal is my motivator to keep following my dreams even all my school teachers hardly prohibited me to think about Cambridge...Harward...New York columbian university since we mentioned those universities focus on GPA . I didn't give up cz I know how hard I am doing my best and I am still planning to apply those universities as I wanna have my own free life ...Thank you Ali Abdaal🌸🌸

[@sidenx]

I don't often like videos, but this one deserved it. You're so honest, amazing, and talented.

[@MostafaSameer_2015]

Yes, you're absolutely correct Abdaal. Wish you all the best 🙂

[@mwihaki__]

Your videos are always so informative. You have actual frameworks to tackling some of life's challenges

[@titan6421]

Ali, you just made me feel more confident on what i am trying to do, thanks brother.

[@aisha-ye3mp]

one of my favourite videos of Ali !!

[@ThreeTwentyTech]

The best choice you can make in life is *doing what makes you happy,* so long as you aren't harming anyone in the process

[@3Looy]

Something the right chose is not what makes you happy in the short term

[@ThreeTwentyTech]

@@3Looy but happy in the long so it's worth it

[@princessjoanabdula1650]

It depends ones situation

[@rusnyg]

Playing videogames all day long makes me happy. Is this the best choice?

[@ThreeTwentyTech]

@@rusnyg honestly? Probably yeah

[@JoshJCommons]

You earned yourself a spot on my mental board of advisors 💗

[@YasinNabi]

"Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion." Tony Hsieh, love your video :)

[@damialuck]

Cal Newport would argue: "Stop chasing the money and start doing the work. Become excellent. Watch this turn into passion." :)

[@Thomasromer2002]

I’m really thinking about moving out, and I REALLY felt that “what is the risk of doing nothing” Great video 🙌🏼

[@alanCandanedo]

OMG this video is Gold, thank u so much Ali 🙌🏻

[@BrendanEvan]

Ali rarely fails to give us actionable tools and frameworks to improve our lives. ❤❤❤

[@redlush91]

Thanks for the video. I am chronic over-thinker and decision paralysis is definitely a thing for me.

[@artoftravelbestselle]

Awesome advice! Almost all I wouldn't thought of myself. The Mental Board of Advisors is gold!

[@PetDKK]

Thank you Ali - you're amazing!

[@outlinehappiness]

Ah….run an experiment…..I wish I had heard this before choosing and completing my degree 😂 Your “who’s the person I want to be” section made me think of something Mel Robbins said about acting like the person you want to be as though you’ve already become that person, because you will build upon the habits that make that person become who you are. Great advice 👍🏻

[@musikhamster01]

One thing which I ask myself in the decision making process is: "Why do I want to do this?" If my reason, my "why", isn't strong enough, I'm likely not following through with it or it's actually not really the thing I want to do.

[@sayyedzaid601]

You never disappointed bro Best video

[@sunfiwakeup]

Thank you so much, i have terrible time making decision and often feel stuck between different choices. Next one i will definitelly try tips from this video!

[@samirkarki192]

Love the board advisors concept. Mine are - Tywin , Little finger, Ned, Varys and Tyrion.

[@beatricedarocha]

Ali, hi, Bia from Brazil here. I would like to say that, because of your amazing videos, you are one of my mental border adviser, and I'm so greatful for that!

[@qvcitizen]

Mate you are absolute genius in cracking down how our brains work

[@e.sergeeva]

This is great stuff! Thank you for the enlightening work you do!)

[@masamangtao6417]

Wow, these are phenomenal questions, and so many of them. Thank you!!!

[@zakinabyzada4275]

I have been watching your videos since you had like 600k subs. And it has been an amazing journey and knowledge sharing. Very nice. ❤

[@bernycodes8867]

Great video Ali !

[@gauharkengshilik]

Just loving it! Thank you sooo much!

[@muhammadsamiul7182]

These are the things I was thinkimg before writing the first post for my email newsletter. I wrote the post because I thought I should start now. I like to know stories of medical science history and I thought it'll be cool to write about them. Thanks to your email newsletter video I got the idea of starting it.

[@KRY999]

🤩🤩🤩 need to watch this about 5 more times so much information to digest !!! thankful i found your youtube, it’s been really helping me

[@indecisivemd]

I struggle so much with making decisions so it is nice to get input from other overthinkers :)

[@kinzzi2794]

I really needed this

[@alonewhale197]

Best supportive youtuber ever!!!

[@Within5years]

I have been waiting for this video 🎉

[@Ms_3sam3]

That was soooooooooooooo useful , thank you Ali .

[@dorchy12]

I found it deeply interesting and insightful. Thank you very much

[@Finansum]

Amazing and inspiring video, thank you, Ali!

[@akinpelz]

I really appreciate the fact that I don’t have to listen to you at 1.25x and 1.5x. Thank you for getting starlight to the point!

[@lua5589]

What an awesome video Ali!!!! Can't find enough words to thank you for the questions! It has helped me a lot! Cheers from Brazil! =)

[@lukaschumchal7797]

Where was this video all my life? I hope it might help me with my fear of decision 🤩

[@h_sihem]

You're part of my mental board ! :D Thank you for all your work here on youtube and up in there lol you've really helped me calm myself and act consciously and most of all manage my university years without crumbling down like i used to !

[@maryannem1398]

I would add to the list, "Would this decision take away my piece of mind?". I have found this to be very important.

[@srikrishnadentalcare4416]

Especially if that's in conflict with your Core values 🤔

[@zac_vaughn]

Here's my thoughts before watching this... If you want to make better choices, then practice rewarding yourself for making choices which produce positive results.

[@annarinaldi3758]

Hi Ali! First off love your videos, thank you for uploading such interesting content all the time. I'd really love to see you handling the topic of "how much does your degree really determines the life you can have". I think nowadays people tend to think that choosing the right path from the age of 18 is fundamental, but it's actually super early to know what you're going to be doing or what your future dream life will possibly look like! You never know what live will bring you.. I'd love to hear your opinion on that, thanks!

[@de_dimaste]

Thank you! Ones of the advices are extremely helpful

[@jayrangani]

Oh, dude, you made life so easy, thankyou

[@fnaenglish]

I must tell I'm so freaked out from stepping one step forward, from expressing my feelings & thoughts, from calling an old friend.. fear is trying to paralyze me; but I've learned the hard way that following fear won't give you security. So, why should I follow my fear if the security behind following it is false? I'm trying to teach myself the hard way to lean into my fears while I'm being fearful, It's weird to accept this feeling while moving around. But that's what I've learned.

Thanks for this inspiring video!

[@user-dx4xe1uw6x]

love this video!!!

[@dashaivaniuk]

I watched 54 seconds of this video and made my vital decision. Thank you😅

[@Lifeisbeautiful100]

I swear I just love you! I can watch your videos all damn day!

[@hizainshah]

I let life make choices for me and I go along with it happily.

[@MasonDavis]

The quitting framework lacks the biggest thing for most people, which is that they have to find the time and energy for something else they have decided to do. It many cases the challenge is worth the reward, but something else contains greater potential.

[@spidermanclips7966]

thanks Ali , that's really helpful

[@natedavidoff668]

Really insightful video. thanks

[@PaolaRodriguez-ul8tb]

Gracias por siempre inspirarme. Thank you for always inspiring me.

[@Arsalanzeb]

Another great video 👍

[@mariakoszalin]

One of your best videos

[@walkerred8220]

This helped. Thank you.

[@mohamedadnan786]

Wow perfect timing... Lot of things to choose in my life and it's really helpful... Thanks dude💜...

[@Antisocialhijabi]

This was so helpful thank you 🫶

[@Johnny_Ghandour]

Hey Ali, how are you doing?? man I love your content, I watch your videos all the time, take notes, keep it tp myself and eventually do nothing with it. I'm asking you if you can teach me how to apply whatever knowledge you are consuming, cause I've read so many books, watched many videos, listened to many podcasts, about things that interest me and help me but have never done something with it. Thank you Ali very much 👏👏❤❤

[@jk_jmc]

Hey Ali, you're awesome, keep being awesome

[@pretty_youtube]

wow this video is eye-opening to say the least. thank you 🙏

[@Evelyn_Mongo]

Very insightful 🙌🏿

[@ixtiyorbaxtiyorjon7828]

That video was on time 👌👌

[@aspiringpolygot5064]

Best video in 2022. In my opinion.

[@what-lz9dl]

Well,I'm here struggling with always bad decision thanks for your video mate...

[@EkaterinaGolubeva-pr9ih]

Thanks Ali for sharing ❤ Here's my decision making routine : - the Pythagoras square : What would happen If I did it ? What would happen if I didn't do it ? What will not happen if I do it ? What will not happen if I don't do it ? - Split a sheet into 2 columns : pros and cons and write arguments attaching a weight for each ( for example on a scale of 10), then counting the sums on each side to see what has most values for you. - Toss a coin, do it - heads, don't do it - tails. While the coin is still in the air, what do I wish to see ?

[@Batman-yo4hf]

You're on my mental board of advisors :) Along with Alfred, of course.

[@lakshmanthadi3459]

I found this video helpful as I just keep thinking about doing things but never do it

[@rakibulsitab]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@HalimReactz]

The main thing is that, if you really love what you're doing, your choice is PERFECT. just keep going...

[@MJFUYT]

Those pen flips you do are sick AF 💯

[@pritunbarua1116]

Thank you very much for the video I really needed it. Love from Bangladesh ❤️

[@TrayOfKimbap]

The Mental Board of Advisors is a great idea! I admit mine won't be comprised of famous authors or speakers from the West... because their lives would not always reflect mine (east) So instead, my initial mental BOA are: 1. My maternal grandma (RIP) who survived WW2 (losing a sibling, almost losing a leg from a grenade) & despite never finishing school is smart & confident was able to put her siblings through college thanks to her own business. 2. My MIL (RIP) a widow but worked hard to support her children, excel in her career, made impact on so many people thru church work . They're the ones in my menta BOA for now. Because they're principled, godly, courageous, generous, independent, resilient, not materialistic and not greedy. I think their advice will apply to a lot of things. 😊

[@Khh.murad12]

It was so helpful 🌹

[@ilibertyi]

I'm an Education Specialist (special ed teacher) and I ask myself, " Is this decision good for kids?" This includes understanding what might help the particular student I'm working with move forward to becoming self-determinant and to advocate for themselves.

[@ErikFaneker]

Another really cool video Ali Abdaal. One question (also to others who may know this): How or using which software do you make your cool animations? Thanks!

[@mindfulmarketingnaveen]

I guess Final Cut Pro!

[@aliabdaal]

Mostly we use Final Cut :)

[@ragibahsan8026]

Oh I badly needed this video exactly 2 years ago... where was it 2 years ago!!!!

[@thecomiccook3487]

This video is very helpful thank you so much

[@sonewane]

Very informative video. BTW nice hoodie ;)

[@t5845]

Journaling is so important.

[@angell2341]

Hi Ali I hope you mention those key points at the end after discussing all that need to be taken after listening to whole conversation I end up in that state where, what did I actually got from hearing this video Since lot of things were discussed

[@BK-jw5oh]

My mental board of advisors include Ali Abdaal ❤

[@bilalsabaawi7956]

this vid come in the right time

[@ryunfep]

Cool question I ask in journaling. What is the coolest thing that could happen?