By Joe Byerly
Do you make good decisions?
If you think the answer is yes, how do you really know? A decision may seem sound at the moment, but time can reveal a different outcome. I can think of several decisions that felt right initially but led to negative consequences long after the fact. Conversely, I’ve made choices that seemed questionable at first, only to find they were the right ones over time.
The only way to truly assess your decision-making is by collecting data. Are you gathering that data?
“Whenever you make a key decision or take a key action, write down what you expect will happen. Nine or twelve months later, compare the actual results with your expectations.”
This advice, shared by Peter Drucker in his 1999 essay Managing Oneself for the Harvard Business Review, resonated with me. Drucker argues that managing yourself starts with knowing yourself—and that begins with paying attention to your actions and decisions.
This made me reflect: Do I make good decisions, or do I make poor ones? Are there patterns in my life that contribute to bad decisions? How can I be sure if my decisions are good or bad?
To explore these questions, I began documenting key decisions in my daily journal. Over time, I gathered enough data to recognize some patterns.
For example, when I feel a loss of control, I tend to make rash, gut-driven decisions—choices that often don’t work out well. Similarly, when I’m tired or stressed, I’m more likely to make poor decisions, especially around habits I’m trying to break, like drinking or other vices. These are times when I need to be particularly cautious.
Some might see this as oversharing, but I’m sharing it to make a point: unless we document and observe our behaviors, it’s hard to gain real insight into ourselves. We might think we’re great decision-makers, but when you look back at your journal months later, you might find a different story. Before I started journaling, I often told myself narratives that didn’t align with my actual behavior. We deceive ourselves far more than we realize—paper doesn’t lie.
Looking back through my journals, I’ve learned that I am a good decision-maker—under the right conditions. I’ve also identified the factors that lead me to make poor choices. By recognizing these trends, I can be more intentional about the decisions I make and the actions I take.
These insights became even more critical when I was in command. By focusing on improving the quality of my decision-making, I grew into a more effective leader. This insight led me to create The Leader’s 90-Day Notebook—a tool designed to help others track their daily decisions and achieve the same clarity that has greatly benefited me, especially during my two years of leadership in the Army.
The Leader’s 90-Day Notebook also includes prompts for factors that influenced my decisions, such as sleep, energy levels, physical activity, and any personal or professional challenges. Whether you choose to grab a copy of The Leader’s 90-Day Notebook or simply start jotting down your decisions in a notebook of your own, I encourage you to try it for a few months. It might just help you answer the question for yourself: Do I make good decisions?
Joe Byerly is the founder and director of From the Green Notebook. He retired from the U.S. Army on August 31, 2024. If this post resonated with you or sparked any questions, feel free to reach out to him at Joe@fromthegreennotebook.com.
