Good thinking isn’t magic. It’s not luck or talent. It’s a skill. And like any skill, it gets stronger when you practise the right way.
Most people try to think better by working harder. They read more. They take more notes. They try new tools. But what they miss is the most important part — learning how they actually think.
This is where decision journaling comes in. Writing down how and why you made a decision helps you spot patterns in your thinking. Over time, you’ll see what works, what doesn’t, and where you keep going off-track.
It’s simple. It’s fast. And it works.
What Is Decision Journaling?
A decision journal is not a diary. You’re not writing about your feelings or your day. You’re tracking how you think.
Each time you make a decision — big or small — you write:
- What the decision was
- What options you considered
- What you expected to happen
- What actually happened
That’s it. The goal is not to write perfectly. The goal is to review your choices later. When you do this over time, you get a clear view of your thought process. You stop guessing what’s wrong. You see the patterns.
The Power of Pattern Recognition
When you journal your decisions, you start to see repeat behaviour. Maybe you always overestimate timelines. Maybe you choose speed over quality. Maybe you avoid hard conversations too long.
These are patterns. And patterns are the secret to better thinking.
According to a study from the University of Texas, journaling and reviewing decision patterns improved performance on strategic tasks by 23%. People who reviewed their past choices became faster, clearer, and more confident in future ones.
Pattern awareness leads to better results. Simple as that.
How Aadeesh Shastry Uses It
Aadeesh Shastry uses a decision journal to build long-term clarity. He writes down one decision a day — what went into it, what came out of it, and what he would change next time.
“I don’t write about everything,” he says. “Just one call I made that day that taught me something. Could be small. Could be huge.”
Over time, this built a personal feedback loop. He doesn’t have to rely on memory. He can see how his thinking has changed — or hasn’t.
He even spots old mistakes coming back in new forms. That’s how you learn faster — not by thinking harder, but by noticing sooner.
Why It Works Better Than Memory
Memory is flawed. We remember outcomes, not the process. We blame luck or credit instinct, even when we didn’t have a real plan.
Journaling stops this.
When you write your thinking down before the outcome is known, you create a record of your logic. When you review it later, you see what was solid and what was guesswork.
That’s powerful. It builds honest feedback — the kind that sticks.
How to Start a Decision Journal
Keep It Simple
You don’t need a fancy notebook. You don’t need an app. Just use what you have — paper, a notes app, or a doc file.
Pick one decision a day. Could be:
- A work choice
- A money choice
- A conversation
- A project start or stop
Write 3–4 sentences max.
Use a Basic Template
- What was the decision?
- What options did I consider?
- What did I expect to happen?
- What actually happened?
- What would I do differently?
Done.
Set a Weekly Review
Every Friday (or whatever day works), review your entries. Ask:
- What patterns do I see?
- What assumptions keep failing?
- Where am I making solid calls?
- Where am I rushing?
That’s how the learning happens.
When to Use It (And When Not To)
Use journaling when:
- You’re unsure about a decision
- You want to learn from a choice
- You keep repeating the same mistake
- You want to track growth in your thinking
Don’t use it to:
- Beat yourself up
- Try to be perfect
- Record every move you make
Keep it focused. Keep it honest.
What You’ll Learn Over Time
After 30 days of journaling, you’ll start to notice:
- What triggers bad calls (stress, fatigue, overconfidence)
- What helps good ones (clear goals, extra time, asking advice)
- What areas you avoid thinking through
- How often your expectations match reality
That’s insight you can’t buy. It’s insight you build.
And once you know how you think, you can change how you act.
Final Thoughts: Think in Public (To Yourself)
Better thinking doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from seeing more.
A decision journal gives you that view. It slows your thinking down just enough to see the moving parts. Then, it gives you a way to track what happens next — not just outcomes, but how you got there.
You don’t need a degree or a system. You need a habit. One note per day. One review per week. That’s it.
Want better thinking? Start writing it down. That’s the move.