“How can I make better decisions?” is a question I ask myself all the time.
This is because I know the quality of my life is dependent on the quality of my decisions.
Maybe you feel like you’re always second-guessing yourself or just don’t know how to weigh your options effectively.
Well, you’re not alone.
Making decisions can be tough, but thankfully, Naval Ravikant has shared three helpful rules we can use to make deciding easier.
For those of you who don’t know, Naval is an entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder, chairman and former CEO of AngelList.
I first learnt about him back in 2018 when his “How to Get Rich (without getting lucky):” Twitter thread went viral.
Unfortunately, many people struggle with decision-making because they don’t have a clear framework to follow as I’ve previously highlighted.
But by learning and implementing these three simple rules, you can approach some decisions with more confidence and clarity.
So, let’s jump in and start making better decisions!
Naval’s three rules for better decisions:
1. If faced with an important decision and you cannot decide, the answer is no.
A few examples of important decisions you might encounter in your life:
- Should I marry this person?
- Should I take this job?
- Should I buy this house?
- Should I move to this city?
- Should I go into business with this person?
Naval says if you can’t make a decision for each of these questions then your answer should be no.
This is because we have so many options available to us in the world we live in now. Never before has a society had so much choice.
Additionally, the decisions we make now can have long-lasting effects on our lives.
Starting a business, moving to a new city, or committing to a relationship can all have implications for years to come.
It’s crucial to only say “Yes” when you are pretty certain, very rarely are you going to be 100% certain about your decision.
Naval doesn’t believe in using the Pros and Cons framework to help in deciding. He says it may be a sign you’re not truly invested in the decision.
Rather, his approach is more organic; trust your gut and heart, and only commit to a decision when you’re confident it’s the right one for you.
2. If you have two choices to make and they are relatively equal, take the path which is more difficult in the short term.
When faced with a decision between two seemingly equal choices, it can be challenging to determine which one to make.
However, the key is to choose the path which is more difficult and painful in the short term.
This is because the brain often tries to avoid short-term pain, even if the path leads to long-term gain.
By leaning into short-term pain, you can cancel out this subconscious tendency and reap the benefits in the long run.
Many gains in life come from suffering in the short term, whether it be through physical exercise or mental challenges like reading a difficult book.
By pushing yourself to the limit, you can absorb new concepts and grow stronger.
Naval’s trainer has some wisdom about choices and life.
“Hard choices, easy life; easy choices, hard life.”
Jersey Gregoric
By making hard choices in the short term, like eating healthy or doing a difficult workout, you can build up self-discipline and enjoy an easier life in the long run.
Conversely, making easy choices in the short term, like partying instead of working, can lead to a difficult life down the road.
In summary, when faced with a choice between two options which appear equally appealing, choose the one which requires short-term pain but leads to long-term gain.
3. Make the choice which will leave you more equanimous in the long term.
This third rule is actually from Kapil Gupta.
Equanimous = calm and composed.
In order to find true happiness and contentment, we must cultivate peace of mind. Happiness cannot be directly chased.
When we chase pleasure, we are bound to experience withdrawal symptoms which eventually lead to a crash.
Naval describes pleasure as a Ferris wheel which takes us up but brings us back down. So, the key to contentment is to first find peace within ourselves.
In times of conflict with other people, it is helpful to make decisions based on what will leave us calm and composed in the long term.
So this means we should make a decision for the path which will bring us the most peace of mind. Even if it may be difficult at the moment.
By making this choice, we can avoid regrets and move forward with a clear conscience.
I usually don’t like to use absolutes but I’ll make an exception here. I always regret situations where I’ve lost my temper or reacted harshly. I’ve never regretted situations where I’ve been kind and kept my cool.
It is important to remember if we make a decision and still experience internal turmoil, then that decision was not the right one.
The choice which will leave us feeling the most at peace is ultimately the right one. Inner peace is the precursor to true happiness.
Personally, I find peace in Jesus.
TL;DR
Naval has summed up all three rules into a single Tweet:
Next Steps:
- For the next decision you have to make today try using one of Naval’s rules
- Let me know how it goes in the comments of this volume
- You can follow Naval on Twitter here @naval for more of his wisdom
- If you liked this then I would really recommend The Alamanack of Naval Ravikant created and edited by Eric Jorgenson,
Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, and I’ll see you next week.
Ty
P.S. Say hey on Twitter and let me know your feedback on this volume of Decide, you can leave a comment here.
Footnotes:
- This post was inspired by Naval’s periscope recording which was captured by Picking Nuggets, you can view the recording here. Thank you Maxim Gospodinko for sharing this with me.
