You don’t lack good judgment, you lack these 10 seconds

Most people do not lack good judgement. They lack the ten seconds it takes to reach it. That’s the idea behind the 10-10-10 rule, a decision-making framework developed by Suzy Welch, a three-time New York Times bestselling author and NYU Stern professor.

The rule asks three simple questions before any decision: what will this look like in 10 minutes, in 10 months, and in 10 years? The ten-minute answer captures immediate relief or discomfort, the ten-month answer shows the likely consequences, and the ten-year answer tells you whether the decision truly matters in the long run.

Welch says the framework works across almost every field. A founder can use it to weigh a product pivot. A parent can use it to decide whether to cave on screen time. Someone comparing job offers can use the same three questions and reach more clarity than a pros-and-cons list would offer.

It isn’t a universal fix. Some emergencies demand an instant call, and no amount of reflection changes that. But for the everyday dilemmas that make up most of life’s decisions, the framework offers a quick way to stop overthinking and actually decide.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by S Sepp