I was considering some key factors around success today, and I came to the conclusion that making decisions is at the center of successful effort. When you can make decisions quickly, you can get to more decisions and be more effective. That is the first metric of success. The number of decisions that you have the capacity to make. That has a lot to do with the ability to be successful.
The second metric is quite simply the percentage of those decisions that you get right, or decisions that lead to a positive outcome. Do you make generally good decisions? Do you make more good decisions than you do bad ones? That is the second key to success, if my theory holds true.
So look at this as a simple formula. Can you increase the number of decisions that you have the capacity to make and at the same time improve the efficacy of those decisions? It would do you no good to increase the volume of decisions only to have your good/bad decision ratio drop.
I do not know what I am going to do about this decision calculus, but it makes for interesting tracking. Can I track the number of decisions that I make in a day? Track their success ratio?
Hmm…

Guy Reams

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Share the Post:

Recent Blogs

Day 310 – I Actually Love Opera

The author explores the reasons why people might hesitate to reveal certain aspects of themselves, using their love for opera as an example. They differentiate between privacy and concealment, arguing that while privacy is a healthy boundary, concealment stems from a fear of judgment and can be a burden. The piece concludes by advocating for the freedom found in being less concerned with labels and more comfortable with revealing one’s true complexity.

Read More

Day 309 – The Price Tag of Automation

The author recounts his frustrating experience with home automation after Google abandoned its Nest architecture, leading him to build his own system. He highlights the significant time and effort required for maintenance and the eventual abandonment of his automation efforts due to the high ‘economic life’ cost. However, with the advent of AI, the cost and effort of automation have decreased, making it more feasible and renewing his interest in deploying future automations.

Read More

Day 308 – Speed is The Champion

This article explores the concept that speed often leads to success in various fields, from business to technology and sports. It argues that systems capable of rapid action, feedback, and adjustment tend to outperform those focused on avoiding errors. The author highlights the importance of fast feedback loops, citing John Boyd’s OODA loop and its application in AI systems. The piece also discusses the speed-accuracy tradeoff, noting that while speed can lead to more mistakes, these are often recoverable, and the compounding effect of rapid learning ultimately drives better results.

Read More

Day 307 – Iterative Could be Insufficient

This article explores the contrast between iterative and linear thinking, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. It argues that while iterative thinking is beneficial in many fields, it can sometimes be an excuse for insufficient upfront planning, and proposes a hybrid approach for more robust decision-making.

Read More
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x