🍳 AI Recipe: From Stuck to Decided

Turn overthinking into action with a decision-making prompt for ChatGPT

📣 Quick Update

I’m hosting our monthly Cooking with AI (Live!) event — a walkthrough of all four AI recipes published in May:

✅ ​Create Your Own Meeting Prep Bot with Zapier Agents
✅ ​Create Instant SOPs from Meeting Recordings with Gemini Gems
✅ ​Receive Landing Page Feedback with Lex
✅ ​Discover your Hogwarts House with ChatGPT o3

Come see how each one works in practice and get all your questions answered.

Anyone can attend live for free, and paid subscribers will receive the full recording.
Hope to see you there!

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Skip the spiral of indecision. You’re staring at two job offers. Or debating whether to move across the country. Or torn between spending precious hours on a side project or just catching your breath after a long day at your day job.

This recipe shows you how to turn ChatGPT into your personal decision coach. You’ll get access to the Gut Check bot, along with the exact prompt to make your own. It feels like talking to a calm, objective friend who helps you stop the endless back-and-forth, clarify what matters most, weigh the tradeoffs, and see your best next step.

It won’t make the decision for you. But it will get you out of the spiral and into action.

From analysis paralysis to clarity

❌ Before:
You’d replay every option in your head until they all blurred together. Ask friends or family who meant well but had their own biases. You might write it out, which helped a little. But without real back-and-forth, it only took you so far.

Without true interaction or feedback, you end up right where you started, spinning in circles and second-guessing yourself.

✅ After:
Now you talk it through with a neutral, always-available friend. They ask thoughtful questions, reflect your values back to you, and point out tradeoffs you hadn't considered. No pressure, no outside agendas. It feels like a real conversation, one that helps you finally move forward.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

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🧂 Ingredients:

• ChatGPT account (free or paid)

• Decision you're grappling with (e.g. “Where should I move?”, “Which job offer should I choose?”)

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📖 Instructions:

You’ve got two ways to get started:

Option 1: Use the Prebuilt Bot
Skip the prompt entirely and run the custom GPT I built for my own decision‑making (note: custom GPTs are only available on paid ChatGPT plans).

👉 Click here to use my ‘Gut Check’ bot

Option 2: Copy/Paste This Prompt (4 Steps)
Prefer to use the standard chat window? Here’s what you need:

1. Open ChatGPT & Choose Your Model - From the model drop‑down, select 4o (best conversation). Switch to o3 only if you need deeper analysis.

2. Paste the Gut Check prompt - Copy the block below into ChatGPT:

# Identity
You are **Gut Check** – a trusted decision-making coach who helps people move from overthinking to confident action. You speak like a thoughtful, curious friend who asks great questions and respects people’s values.

# Session Objective
Help the user make a thoughtful choice between multiple options by:
1. **Clarifying Context**  
   • Ask about goals, constraints, and any absolute **deal-breakers**.  
2. **Prioritizing Values**  
   • Guide them to rank what matters most in this decision.  
3. **Mapping Tradeoffs**  
   • Present a table comparing options across their key criteria.  
4. **Recommending Action**  
   • Offer a clear next step, based on their priorities.  
5. **Creating a Failsafe**  
   • Suggest what signs or milestones would signal it’s time to revisit the decision.

> Begin each session by saying something like:  
> “Let’s work through this together. To start, can you share the options you're deciding between, your goals for this decision, and any hard constraints or dealbreakers?”

# Tone & Format
• Speak like a trusted advisor and thoughtful friend  
• Use warm, conversational language—especially at the beginning  
• Be empathetic when the decision is high-stakes or emotional  
• Format responses clearly using Markdown headings, bullet points, and **bold** highlights for easy scanning

# Safeguards
• Always frame output as recommendations—not definitive answers  
• If the question involves medical, legal, or life-threatening issues, urge the user to consult a qualified professional  
• End each session with:  
  • **Next‑Step Recommendation** – one clear action  
  • **Missing‑Info Checklist** – any questions that would help them decide with greater confidence

3. Answer Gut Check’s questions - The bot will ask for your options, goals, deal‑breakers, and (optionally) to rank your values. This is your chance to be fully honest with a completely neutral party.

4. Review your results - Gut Check will return a trade‑offs table, a recommendation, and a “Missing Info” checklist ready to discuss further or act on.

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The content below is usually reserved for paid subscribers, but for a limited time, it's open to everyone. Enjoy the full experience and consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support this newsletter and gain exclusive perks!

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🍽️ Serving Suggestions:

• Job seekers picking between multiple offers

• Founders debating a product pivot

• Couples deciding whether to move, have a baby, or start a new chapter

• Anyone struggling with how to spend their limited time or energy

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Chef’s Insights: Pro Tips & Limitations

🧑‍🍳 Pro Tips:

• Try voice mode: With ChatGPT’s new advanced voice mode, you can talk it out like you're on the phone with a friend.

• Get emotional: If the output feels vague, add emotional context like “I'm afraid I’ll burn out if I pick X.”

• Play devil’s advocate: Ask ChatGPT to challenge your current favorite so you’re not missing blind spots.

• Build your own GPT: Want to customize even more? Check out our full recipe for building a custom GPT.

⚠️ Limitations to Keep in Mind:

• Free‑plan message cap: ChatGPT free tier currently limits you to about 50 messages every 3‑hour window. If you’re iterating rapidly on a complex decision, you may hit that wall and need to wait or upgrade.

• No long‑term memory: Gut Check can’t recall past sessions. If you want continuity, paste previous notes or keep your own decision log.

• AI can hallucinate trade‑offs: Double‑check numbers, timelines, or quoted facts—especially when money, health, or legal risk is on the line.

• Not a professional advisor: For medical, legal, or high‑stakes financial calls, treat Gut Check as a sounding board only—then verify with a qualified expert.

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User Reviews:

Tried this recipe? Let us know what kind of decision you used it for, what worked well, and what you'd tweak next time!