How do you know if a decision was actually good BEFORE the outcome happens?

In this episode, Ben introduces a powerful framework from decision analysis, The Decision Stool.

Most of us judge decisions by how things turn out. But outcomes involve luck and things beyond your control. Good decisions can lead to bad outcomes, and bad decisions can sometimes lead to good outcomes.

So, if outcomes don't let us know if we made a good decision, what does?

The Decision Stool gives you a way to evaluate decision quality in advance, by checking the strength of three essential legs:

• Values: What do you truly care about, and across which categories?

• Alternatives: What options do you actually have, and can you create better ones using a value-focused approach?

• Information: What do you know, what don’t you know, and is it worth learning more?

Ben walks you through how he used the decision stool framework from his own 20s when he bought his first home in Northern California. He had to balance affordability, family, location, schools, and risk.

You’ll see how a value-focused, hybrid alternative led to a creative solution that satisfied competing priorities. Yes, Ben does enter the Matrix in this episode and turns his decision to buy a house into an opportunity to become a landlord!

You’ll walk away with:

• A practical checklist for evaluating decision quality

• A way to diagnose why you feel stuck

• An exercise to design alternatives that aren’t “on the menu”

• A preview of the next tool: decision trees, which make complex choices visible

When a decision feels wobbly, don’t guess. Instead, notice which leg of the stool needs strengthening AND stabilize.

A solid decision stool translates to more confident decisions also known as "Clarity of Action" which means you evaluate your decisions based on what you can control.

Now It’s Your Turn

Think about a decision you are currently facing, big or small.

Take 5–10 minutes and evaluate it using the Decision Stool.

Values. What truly matters in this decision? What outcomes are most important to you?

Alternatives. Have you clearly defined the options? Can you create an alternative based on your values?

Information. What do you know, what don’t you know, and what assumptions are you making?

If one leg feels weak, strengthen it.

If this exercise changes your approach to a decision, share what you discovered in the comments!

This special bonus episode introduces one of the most important ideas for anyone in their 20s: Identity Capital, a concept from The Defining Decade by Meg Jay.

When you’re choosing jobs, majors, or career paths, it’s easy to get stuck in the paradox of choice: too many options, fear of choosing wrong, and hesitation to commit.

But here’s the reframe: it’s not the specific job that matters most, it’s the identity capital you build along the way.

In this episode, Ben explores:

• What is Identity Capital? Answer: the experiences, skills, and reputation that shape your future.

• Why do real-world challenges and meaningful experiences matter more than comfort and convenience? Answer: You'll stand out in that next job interview.

• How to avoid accidentally building Identity Capital in the wrong direction.

• A personal story about the importance of taking a value-focused approach to building identity capital.

This episode will help you shift from job chasing → growth building, so each step you take strengthens your future. Your 20s are not about finding the perfect job. They’re about building the foundation for the life you want.

Now it’s your turn: If you have a job...

• Identify the Identity Capital skills or experiences you are building right now.
• Are they taking you in the direction you want — YES, NO, or MAYBE?

If you’re job searching...

• Step back from job titles and focus on the kind of Identity Capital you want to build.
• Then pursue ONLY the roles that develop that type of identity capital.

Comment: Share your identity capital story in the comments so others can benefit from your experiences.

Looking for podcast guests: Contact me if you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode to talk about clear thinking for better choices in your 20s.

Resources: *Link to PDF of The Defining Decade

https://cdn.bookey.app/files/pdf/book/en/the-defining-decade.pdf

This episode tackles one of the most important thinking traps to avoid in your 20s when evaluating your decisions.

Decisions and outcomes are not the same. Yet many of us confuse the two, judging the quality of a decision based solely on how things turn out afterward. If the outcome is good, we assume the decision was good. If the outcome is bad, we assume the decision was bad.

This pitfall is known as outcome bias, and it can limit learning and make it much harder to improve your decision-making skills.

In your 20s, when you are making high-impact choices about careers, relationships, and major life events, outcome bias can cause you to draw the wrong lessons from decisions that were actually well thought out.

This episode explores a good decision with a bad outcome and a bad decision with a good outcome. We make this concrete by following Jim’s story and examining how a reasonable decision to plan an outdoor wedding ends up leading to an unlucky outcome.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to spot outcome bias in your own life, extract better lessons from your experiences, and build decision-making skills that compound throughout your 20s.

Now It’s Your Turn

Take 5–10 minutes to reflect about a decision you made recently that had a clear outcome.

Now separate the decision from the outcome.

• First, notice if the outcome was good or bad.
• Then, regardless of the outcome, did the decision felt right at the time?
• Was your choice aligned with your values?

Remember, a good decision can still lead to a bad outcome… and a bad decision can end up with a lucky outcome.

Focus on noticing the difference between "the decision" and "the outcome" not judging yourself by the result.

And if you're up for it, share what you discovered in the comments so others can benefit from your reflection!