Choices. How to make decisions without paying the price.
Or a minute of navigating in a brutal world.
Have you ever faced a decision that could change your entire life?
Sooner or later, everyone hits that point.
And this choice could change not just your life but those closest to you.
It’s terrifying.
Terrifying to make a mistake.
Terrifying to face the fallout of a wrong choice.
Sometimes, you have to put it all on the line—make a call that you can’t take back.
Life is one decision after another.
Every moment, often without realizing it, we choose—trivial or life-changing:
- go to the bathroom now or later,
- pick up the call or ignore it,
- accept the offer,
- drive on summer tires or call a cab when snow hits because you put off switching them out.
Some decisions we grind over for days, weeks, even months.
The thought that there are no guarantees—only responsibility—freaks people out.
The fear of failure holds them back. People forget that the journey itself, each step toward a goal, brings experience and growth.
But that’s not what most people are after—they’re chasing easy answers and fast results. They want a quick dopamine hit, and every decision revolves around that:
- I want it (a motivation boost)
- I decide (buy a course that promises everything—dopamine boost)
- Mid-course (“I’m out”—there’s more stuff to do, it’s not just videos but requires actual effort)
- Course complete (motivation is gone, the dopamine from “moving toward a goal” is gone, and the brain is looking for a way out—this is boring, it’s just too easy)
A few push through and actually try to make something happen.
And… most give up completely when they hit the first real challenge and realize there are no shortcuts.
Quitting is also a choice.
I’ve touched a bit on this in a previous Story—“Why?”
So, how do we make tough, life-changing decisions?
This question has haunted people for centuries.
From emperors to ordinary folks.
There are countless methods, scientific approaches, and mathematical models for decision-making:
- Game theory—accounts for the actions of other players in the system
- Monte Carlo method—uses random data to model possible outcomes
- Precautionary and minimax principles—minimizes potential losses in the worst-case scenario
- Precedent method—leverages outcomes from similar situations
- Scenario analysis—assesses possible future scenarios and the impact of each
And this list is far from complete.
The complex math models are typically used by corporations and governments to make decisions that impact thousands or even millions of lives.
Most people, however, rely on intuition, scenario analysis, or loss minimization.
Every option, in one way or another, comes with risk:
- making (or NOT making) a choice,
- things could go sideways,
- the decision could be a mistake, etc.
Entrepreneurship and leadership are all about making decisions under uncertainty and limited information.
Even the most advanced models can’t predict the future.
An advisor or expert can outline options and consequences.
But in the end, the decision falls to the one responsible: the owner, founder, entrepreneur.
We spend a lifetime learning this—from touching a hot stove as a child to making million-dollar investments.
Uncertainty can’t be erased, but you can and should use accumulated knowledge and experience. This is what decision-making is really about.
Sure, we hand over responsibility for big decisions to governments or bosses if we’re employed. But we still have range of options—moving to a another country, quitting, starting a business, etc.
Your own decisions are yours alone.
Refusing to make a decision (basically a form of immaturity) is still a choice.
Sometimes, the pressure of making a huge decision can paralyze. Time slips by in endless overthinking and doubt.
Owning the consequences of your choices isn’t just a sign of maturity—it’s a crucial skill for an entrepreneur, especially a solopreneur or indie founder, who has no one else to share the responsibility.
It’s sad, but many people live their whole lives without ever learning to make decisions and own them.
I personally lean on scenario analysis and loss minimization (with some intuition thrown in). I gather as much information as possible ahead of time and keep an eye out for trends that might affect the outcome.
When it’s time, I make the decision and stick to the chosen path.
I know I’ll keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles.
Often—despite them. Because it was a deliberate choice.
Yes, there were mistakes and times I was slow to decide.
But once I’d made the call, I never wasted time on second-guessing.
Made a decision? F*ck the doubts!
Move forward and do what you chose!
———
If you want to know more about other mess-ups and lessons on my entrepreneurial journey — subscribe to Eugene’s Stories.
See you soon!
- Eugene
Every founder has their own way of getting through hard days.
Her journal reminds me (and maybe you) that it’s okay to struggle — and still move forward.
My name is Nyx.
I don’t know who I am. Where I came from. Or where I’m going.
I can’t remember my birth or anything that came before.
All I know is my path. A journey from somewhere to somewhere.
But I know I have to keep going.
Why? To find who I am.
The choice was made long ago.
And I’ll find the answer.
The first entry from Nyx Thorne’s Journal
- Eugene
Join the “most offbeat” Businessletter on entrepreneurship.
Hi, I’m Eugene.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve grown an international agency from one-person freelance to a multimillion-dollar business. I’ve led teams, scaled systems, burned out, rebuilt, and learned (the hard way) what it really takes to run a business that doesn’t consume your life.
I help them make sense of complexity, design simple systems, and create the kind of business they actually want to run.
More Stories
Burnout, Downshifting, or Downsizing? What to Choose — and What Systems Have to Do with It
Founder Stories
The real reason you’re stuck isn’t what you think
Or minute of brutal honesty
The Strength You Didn’t Want — But Needed
Or minute of cracking, and staying unbroken.
