I've been thinking about framing ideas in terms of the upcoming decisions I have to make.

It’s a fast way to focus your efforts. Things will go from being hypothetical, loose, and abstract... to tangible, concrete, and time-bound.

Talking about the “what” has a bad rap because our culture is obsessed with "whys.” Once you know your why, you still have to translate it into a tangible what. And In the process, you might realize you aren’t as sure about your idea as you originally thought.

Identifying the upcoming decision is powerful because it prevents you from hiding. It prevents you from being delusional.

Examples:

I want to decide whether to do this or that.

I want to decide on a topic for the course.

I want to decide whether this fits in my overall strategy or if it’s a distraction.

I want to decide which new marketing channel is best to double-down on.

I want to decide whether to hire this person.

I want to decide what to say in the next few days without feeling awkward.

It’s much easier for people to help you when you frame your loose thoughts as upcoming decisions. They can point out blind spots. They can scenario plan with you. They can help you get to where you want to go.

At the end, you’ll know if you have enough to make the decision.

Remember: All the planning, thinking, and mulling is great, but it’s still all in your head. Nothing in the outside world has changed yet. No one except you knows you have grand plans.

The next step is to bring it out of your head and into the real world. Decisions are actions in the real world. Once you decide, you will either take a step forward or backward. Even moving in the wrong direction helps because you can course-correct and start moving in the right direction.

I have an open tab on my browser titled Decisions To Make. It helps focus my thinking, so if I ask for feedback, the conversation is much more specific and productive.

What’s something you are procrastinating on—and what if you reframed it as an upcoming decision?

Let me know if you give it a try.