Free practice guide · Xiyue Sansan

A Decision Journal Before a Big Choice

A decision journal preserves what you knew when you chose. Without that record, a later result can make the earlier choice look obvious, even when important information was unavailable. A useful entry is short enough to complete and specific enough to revisit.

Describe the choice and its timing

Write “I need to decide whether to…” followed by the actual action. Include the response deadline if there is one. Ask whether the choice is yours alone or requires agreement from other people.

For a fictional example, two friends are considering sharing a rented studio. One person's enthusiasm cannot establish the other person's agreement about costs, access, or responsibilities.

List more than two extremes

The options may include agreeing, declining, asking for more information, trying a shorter arrangement, or changing the scope. Only list alternatives that are actually available. “Wait indefinitely” is not available when a genuine deadline requires an answer.

For the studio, a limited trial might be possible if the owner and both friends agree. It should not be treated as an option until the relevant people confirm it.

Preserve facts and uncertainties separately

Record the quoted fee, agreed schedule, responsibilities, and cancellation terms. Mark details that remain unconfirmed. A hope that you will use the studio every week is different from an established pattern of attendance.

If tarot is part of your practice, place image associations on a separate line. They may prompt a useful question about resources or expectations. They do not change the factual status of an unconfirmed term.

State the trade-off you accept

Every attractive option can leave something behind. Write the cost you are willing to accept and the condition you are unwilling to compromise. “I accept one evening less at home each week, provided the shared fee stays within the agreed amount” is more informative than “This feels right.”

You do not need to feel entirely comfortable before making a reasoned choice. Disappointment about an alternative can coexist with a workable decision.

Set a review point

Name an event or date that would justify reconsideration. For the studio, it might be after the first month or if access arrangements change. A review point should help you notice relevant developments, not require you to reopen the choice every day.

Your final entry can contain six lines: decision, available options, confirmed information, remaining uncertainty, accepted trade-off, and next action with a review point.

When you return to the record, compare the actual result with what you reasonably knew. Avoid inventing a perfect outcome for the path you did not take. Use the review to improve the next inquiry rather than to judge your earlier self with information they did not have.