The hard choice model can help you see the kind of a decision you’re making – whether it’s a no-brainer, a hard choice or something in between. It will enable you to move forward with your decision.

How to use it

Think about two factors of your decision:

• How impactful it is
• How easy it is to compare the options

There are four kinds of decisions that you can make. This model places them based on those two factors:

No-brainer

Decision with low-impact where it’s easy to compare the options.

Here you can move fast and go with your gut feeling.

Apples/Oranges choice

Decision with low-impact where it’s hard to compare the options.

You should refine your options based on what is really important to you.

Big choice

Decision with high-impact where it’s easy to compare the options.

You need to gain confidence before making the decision.

Hard choice

Decision with high-impact where it’s hard to compare the options.

In this case, a tool like the decision matrix can help you carefully evaluate options based on different factors.

Move forward

When you can categorize your decision using this model, it will enable you to take the appropriate action.