When to use it
Use it for important decisions where you suspect you are anchored on one option or swayed by emotion.
How to apply it
- Widen your options by asking what you would do if your current choices were unavailable.
- Reality-test assumptions by seeking disconfirming evidence and running small trials.
- Attain distance by asking what you would advise a friend in the same position.
- Prepare to be wrong by setting a tripwire that triggers a review if things go off track.
Tip: Watch for 'whether or not' decisions; they usually mean you have only one option on the table.