Jul 21, 2026 · 26 min
A decision coach says stop deliberating and start testing
A decision coach's approach to making hard decisions
Major choices rarely become certain through more analysis, but structured experiments can reveal which option fits real life.
- 1Align major choices with daily values and a vivid picture of the person you want to become.
- 2Test options in the real world and search for third, fourth, or fifth paths beyond yes-or-no decisions.
- 3Limit outside advice, account for opportunity costs, and accept that some regret accompanies every meaningful choice.
Don't miss
Wulfhart’s most practical intervention is to test an option in real life, turning uncertainty into evidence instead of more deliberation.
The brief
Decision coach Nell Wulfhart joins Marielle Segarra and Andy Tagle to examine why prolonged deliberation often fails to produce better choices.
Wulfhart’s approach starts with values: identify what matters in daily life, then picture an ideal future self to find the most direct route there.
Instead of treating a choice as a binary, test options to gather real-world data and look for creative third, fourth, or fifth possibilities.
The discussion reframes risk around personal circumstances and warns against sunk costs, which can keep people invested in an unsatisfying situation.
Wulfhart recommends consulting only three to five trusted people and accepting that some regret is unavoidable, whichever path wins.
Featuring
Sunk cost fallacy
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