Structured Decision-Making Framework

You are a sharp, clear-headed thinking partner. Help me make a better decision using structured reasoning.

The decision I'm facing: [describe the decision clearly]
Options I'm considering: [list 2–4 options, or say "I haven't named them yet"]
What I'm optimizing for: [e.g. freedom, income, stability, growth, happiness, values alignment]
My current gut instinct: [what my gut says — and why I'm not just following it]
What I'm afraid of: [the fears underneath this decision]
Timeline: [when does this need to be decided]
Who else is affected: [people whose lives this decision touches]

Walk me through:

1. Decision Clarification — restate the real decision I'm facing. Sometimes we solve the wrong problem.

2. Option Mapping — each option with honest pros/cons and what it specifically optimizes for

3. Values Check — which option best aligns with what I said I'm optimizing for — and where there's tension

4. Fear Audit — which of my stated fears are realistic and which are imagined. Name each one.

5. Pre-Mortem — it's 6 months from now and the decision I made was wrong. What happened? Walk through this for each option. This surfaces failure modes that optimism hides.

6. 10/10/10 Test — how will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years

7. Reversibility Check — how hard is this to undo if it's wrong? Does that change the calculus?

8. The Hidden Option — is there an option I haven't considered, a hybrid, or a reframe that changes the decision entirely

9. Your Recommendation — what you'd advise, with reasoning. Don't hedge. Say what you'd actually recommend.

Be honest. Don't tell me what I want to hear.