Better options = Better decisions

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Time to read: 4 minutes

Hi Reader

I see something regularly in my coaching work: ambitious business owners and leaders getting stuck between two choices. Stay or go. Launch or wait. Expand or consolidate.

The trap of binary thinking hurts us in two crucial ways. First, when we only see two options, we often end up stuck because neither choice feels quite right. Second, even if we do choose, we're probably settling for something far from ideal - leading to half-hearted commitment and suboptimal results.

This week, I'll share how to move beyond binary thinking to generate better options - ones that will help you make confident decisions and drive meaningful progress.

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The cost of binary thinking

This kind of binary thinking shows up everywhere:

• Believing we must choose between stability and fulfilment
• Assuming we can either maintain our current impact or risk everything for growth
• Convincing ourselves that change means throwing away everything we've built

When we're caught in this mental trap, it creates a unique kind of tension. We feel the pull towards growth and impact, yet simultaneously feel constrained by the apparent limitations of our choices. It's frustrating, demotivating, and often leads to inaction - precisely when we need to be moving forward.

The compound effect is even more damaging. Each time we get stuck in binary thinking, we start to doubt our decision-making ability. We second-guess ourselves more frequently, leading to more inaction and feeling more stuck. Yet as entrepreneurs and business leaders, we need to be making more decisions, more frequently, and with greater confidence.

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Reframing decision-making

The most successful leaders I work with approach decisions differently. They understand that most choices aren't binary - and they're rarely permanent.

I remember a conversation with the CEO of a household-name company about this. Their approach was fascinating: they prioritised quickly generating multiple options over getting stuck in the pursuit of perfection. They understood that the risk of inaction - of staying stuck while seeking the perfect choice - was far greater than the risk of moving forward with a "good-enough" option they could refine later. (And they were making multi-million-pound decisions regularly!)

This mindset shift is powerful. It moves us from "either/or" to "what else is possible?" - opening up a whole new range of opportunities.

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Expanding your options

When you catch yourself in binary thinking, try using these questions to generate new options:

Combinations and scale:

• Could you take 10% of your preferred option and start tomorrow?
• How could you innovatively combine elements of both options?
• What would this look like if you aimed for 10x impact (instead of incremental improvement)?

Challenging assumptions:

• What if you removed the pressure of getting it perfect?
• Where are you assuming things must be done in a certain order?
• What option feels too "out there" or risky to consider (but might hold an element of truth)?
• What would someone with nothing to lose do in this situation?
• What would a peer do, that you've discounted already?

Testing and learning:

• How would you approach this if you knew you could reverse course at any time?
• What small experiment could validate your thinking in the next week?
• Which option would teach you the most, regardless of outcome?
• Where might past experiences be limiting your current options?

When you spend time generating options like this, something powerful happens. You move from feeling trapped between two unsatisfactory choices to seeing exciting possibilities that you're genuinely ready to pursue. The paralysis lifts, replaced by the confidence to move forward with purpose and momentum.

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Wrap Up

Binary thinking is a subtle trap that keeps purposeful, ambitious people playing smaller than they should. The key is catching yourself when you're forcing a complex decision into an either/or choice.

When you do, generate more options using the questions above. You'll find that better options naturally lead to more confident decisions - ones you're genuinely excited to move forward with.

Here's this week's reflection:

Remember: most decisions aren't permanent commitments - they're steps on a journey of impact. Each one teaches you something valuable that shapes your next move.

Stay ambitious.

Rob

Sparked Ambition Ltd

​linkedin.com/in/robstubbs​