Decision Journal

What is Decision Journal?

A systematic written record of significant decisions — capturing the context, reasoning, emotions, alternatives considered, and expected outcomes at the time of decision — then reviewing actual outcomes later to improve judgment over time. Combats hindsight bias and reveals recurring decision-making patterns.

Is there evidence for it?

How do you do Decision Journal?

1. 1.For each significant decision, record: the date, the situation/context, what's at stake, all options considered, your reasoning for the chosen option, your emotional state, and your predicted outcome with a confidence percentage
2. 2.Write a short paragraph on what you expect to happen and why — this is the most important part because it captures your thinking before you know the result
3. 3.Note the time of day and your physical/mental state (tired, stressed, rushed, calm) — decision quality correlates strongly with these factors
4. 4.Set calendar reminders to review decisions 30, 90, and 365 days later: compare predicted vs actual outcomes and look for patterns of bias
5. 5.Conduct a quarterly meta-review: where do you consistently overestimate or underestimate? Which types of decisions do you make well vs poorly? What emotional states lead to bad decisions?

How long does it take?

10-15 minutes per decision, 1 hour quarterly review.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.