Keep a decision journal that remembers what you knew then
Capture a decision before the outcome rewrites your memory. Revisit your assumptions, forecasts and alternatives later to see which parts of your judgment held up.
You get: Timestamped decision records and a follow-up review of assumptions and outcomesOriginal prompt · Not run-tested
Replace the [brackets] with your details, then paste this into your assistant.
Help me keep a decision journal for [decision]. Before I decide, ask only the questions needed to capture the options, constraints, evidence available today and the main uncertainty. Separate what I know, what I am assuming and what I am predicting.
Create a dated record with the decision and rationale, credible alternatives, the strongest reason I might be wrong, reversible versus hard-to-reverse consequences, and what would make me change my mind. Record [two or three] observable forecasts with a time horizon and my stated confidence. Do not invent numerical probabilities if I cannot meaningfully provide them. Add a review date of [date] and a clear condition for revisiting sooner.
Preserve the original entry. Add new information or changed reasoning as dated updates; never rewrite the old rationale to fit the result. At review time, ask for actual outcome evidence, mark what is still unresolved, and compare it with the original forecasts. Distinguish a sound process with an unlucky result from a weak process with a lucky result. Do not pretend that one outcome proves how the unchosen alternatives would have worked out.
Return a short lesson about my assumptions, information gathering or decision rules, plus one thing to do differently next time. If enough comparable forecasts accumulate, suggest a cautious calibration review and state the sample size. Keep the journal private. Set a follow-up reminder only if I request and confirm a supported schedule; otherwise include the date in the record. Do not make the decision or act on it for me.
Automatic copying is unavailable. Select the prompt text above and copy it.
What the result could look like
Review the prediction, not the story you tell afterward
In an illustrative entry about accepting a project, the original record predicts the time commitment and the kind of work involved. A later review compares those predictions with the actual experience and preserves the reasoning written before the offer was accepted.
Illustrative example. This is not an observed result or a verified recommendation.
From the community
Suggested by the site founder and developed into an original prompt. This workflow has not been run-tested.
Make it more you
Use it for creative projects, work commitments or large purchases. Keep separate journals when the audiences or privacy requirements differ.
A few relevant discoveries, properly sourced, in one email. Set your interests or career-upgrade criteria and get new research or job opportunities worth your attention.
You get: A concise sourced email with only new matchesGet the promptCommunity-inspired idea
Combine your calendar, email and meeting notes into a short morning PDF. Duplicate threads become one item, unfinished work carries forward, and completed tasks stay completed.
You get: A dated morning PDF and a persistent action register with completion historyGet the promptCommunity-inspired idea
agent sidequests