Tattoo, haircut or cap?

Before a decision, I ask myself: is this a tattoo, a haircut, or am I just changing my cap?

How much does it take to reverse the choice?

Cap

Low cost to reverse

Haircut

Time to recover

Tattoo

Lasting consequences

A qualitative comparison: effort, time and consequences.

Easy to change. Decide quickly.

I can try it, see what happens and change it again at little cost. The next piece of information can come from doing it.

It takes time to grow back.

The effect lasts for a while. I consider how long I will live with the choice and what that costs before I decide.

Give a lasting decision more thought.

Reversing it may be expensive, difficult or incomplete. I want to understand the consequences and question my assumptions.

I have to make decisions quickly. This picture helps me decide how much time a decision deserves.

Changing my cap is easy. A haircut stays with me until it grows out. A tattoo can stay with me for a very long time. These are three different levels of commitment.

If a decision is easy to reverse and the downside is small, I want to make it quickly. I can learn from the result and adjust.

For a lasting commitment, I want to spend more time understanding what I am agreeing to. The useful question is how much it would cost to change my mind.

How easily can I change this decision?

A personal decision metaphor. Reversibility includes time, money and consequences for other people.