Rate your last few hours

Go with your first instinct.

Rate your happiness level

Where are you right now?

Current State

Write about your last few hours.

Make a gratitude list.

Why should you be in a good mood?

Step 1

The choice before you.

What is the good action you wish you wanted to do? What is the dumb action you currently want to do?

Minimize the "benefits" of the dumb action

Dumb Action: dumb action

What are the "benefits" of this dumb action?

Fleeting, momentary, weak pleasure There are no true benefits Nothing meaningful

What will it actually be like?

Not what I'm actually craving at all Anxiety and guilt inducing Terrible

How long will the “benefits” last?

A very short amount of time Gone quickly Not long at all

Does this align with your values and goals?

No, not at all

Minimize the costs of doing the good action

Good Action: good action

How long will it actually take to to do the good action?

Not long at all A short amount of time Not much

How long will the good action suck to do?

A very short amount of time Less than I imagine Never, really

How much effort is required to do the good action?

Very little One small step Little to none

How pleasant will it be to do the good action?

Very pleasant actually! More pleasant than I'm imagining Quite pleasant

Why will it be pleasant?

I love accomplishing my goals I LOVE VICTORY!

Maximize the costs of doing the dumb action

Dumb Action: dumb action

How soon would you regret doing this dumb action?

Immediately Within seconds

What regrets would you have?

That I was weak and pleasure seeking I weakened discipline

What are the costs?

Anxiety Guilt Regret, pain, shame, disappointment

How terrible would it be to live with those costs?

Absolutely terrible! Mentally exhausting! Hard to live with!

How long would the costs last?

All day Several days

How does this violate your identity?

I am not weak I am not a pleasure seeker

Maximize the benefits of doing the good action

Good Action: good action

How will you feel once you do this good action?

Proud! Happy! Satisfied! Relieved! Calm! At peace! Victorious!

How long will those feelings last?

All day Into tomorrow and possibly several days Longer than the discomfort

How soon will you feel them?

Immediately As soon as I commit I feel them now as I become committed to the right choice

How does this affirm who you are?

I am disciplined I am motivated I a badass

Meditate on the rewards and benefits of the good action for 15 to 30 seconds.

Done

Did you clearly show that the dumb action has very low benefits and extremely high costs? And did you show that the good, smart action has extremely low costs and extremely high benefits?

Yes - I’m ready to make the right choice No - I need to do more maximizing and minimizing

Summary of your thoughts and feelings.

Make definitive decisions and stick to them.

You are a person of your word. Don’t keep thinking about these things. Don’t weigh the pros and cons any longer. Take actions that will cause happiness, peace, and pride.

Did this process work? Is dopamine now your ally? Do you feel pulled toward the right choice and ready to follow through?

Yes No Sorta/Maybe

Responses are 100% confidential (we didn't ask for your name or email). Please submit your results so that we can measure the success rate of the tool and implement improvements if/where necessary.

Don’t make the mistake of trying the tool one or two times and writing it off as faulty! It takes a few attempts to get used to the flow and to learn how to answer in a way that fits your brain.

Unstuck Tool - Short Version