1. What Core Value Are You Optimizing For? Asking ‘what core value am I optimising for right now?’ gives me permission to prioritize the core value I care about the most. I can say ‘yes I care about X – but right now, I’m optimizing for Y.’ 2. What Would Your Mental Board of Advisors Say? Consulting my Mental Board of Advisors always helps when I’m stuck on a decision. The Mental Board of Advisors is a group of 3-4 people (dead or alive) who you admire, and who you know well enough to be able to ask ‘what would [Naval / The Rock / Malala] do in this position?’ 3. What Are Your Underlying Assumptions? Every problem is propped up by a bunch of underlying assumptions. Challenge those assumptions, and the problem often fades away: 4. Can You Adjust the Friction? If I want to do more of something, I minimize the friction for doing it. And when I want to do something less, I maximize the friction. Make things easier / more difficult for your future self. 5. Are You Applying Leverage? Are you trying to solve your problem with brute force? By putting in more time and effort? Or are you solving it the smart way – building a system, and using unfair advantages (contacts, skills, or money)? That’s what leverage is all about, using your resources to achieve the best possible outcome. 6. Are You Giving Yourself Permission to Experiment? Instead of seeing every decision as life-changing and irreversible, think of yourself as a scientist running an experiment. Try shit out just to see what happens. Even if the experiment fails, you’ll still gain valuable data.