Don't spend hours deciding something you can easily undo

The idea

Some decisions deserve a lot of thought because getting them wrong would be costly or difficult to put right.

Others don't.

If you can easily change your mind later, trying something may teach you more than another hour spent thinking about it.

Try this

1. Ask: If this turns out to be a bad choice, how hard would it be to undo?
2. If it's easy to undo, try the smallest sensible version.
3. Decide when you'll check whether it worked.
4. Use what happens to make the next decision.

Keep this

If a decision is easy to undo, trying it can be part of deciding.

Why this helps

We often think we need to be certain before we act.

That makes sense when a mistake would be expensive, dangerous or hard to reverse.

But choosing a new app, changing a meeting, trying a different routine or running a small test usually isn't like that. If it doesn't work, you can change it back.

In those cases, doing something gives you information. You stop guessing what might happen and get to see what actually happens.

The easier a decision is to undo, the less useful endless thinking becomes.