Approximately a 3-minute read

Good Morning!

I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. This week's message aims to help you become a better decision-maker.

-Justin

An uncomfortable truth I often discuss with the athletes and coaches I work with is this: the more expert you become, the more blind spots you are prone to have.

As a process coach, one of my main roles is to support my clients in their decision-making process. I’ve had the privilege to assist PGA golfers in deciding on a new caddie; Head Coaches in deciding on messaging to the team; an NFL General Manager in deciding what questions should be asked to draft prospects during the NFL Combine; and a MLB starting pitcher in deciding how to approach a pivotal game in the 2025 World Series.

My role isn’t to tell these highly competent professionals what to do. Most of my support comes from pointing out stumbling blocks to clear thinking. Here are four of the most popular thinking traps that come up with them that may also hinder your thought process as you make your next big decision:

One: your brain loves a shortcut. It wants to believe the things that already fit the story in your head. It grabs the answer that feels easy rather than the one that's true, because easy is fast, and fast feels safe. When something clicks into place a little too neatly, stop and ask why. Many of these shortcuts take the form of biases that trick us into thinking they're the correct answer. Here are three of the most popular ones to be on the lookout for:

• Confirmation bias: Looking for information that supports what you already believe and ignoring evidence that challenges it. This makes you feel right instead of helping you see clearly.
• Sunk Cost Fallacy: You keep investing time, energy, or resources into something because you’ve already invested so much. Instead of asking, “Is this still the right decision?” You stay committed because quitting feels like wasting the past.
• Self-Serving Bias: You give yourself too much credit when things go well and blame outside factors when things go poorly. This protects your ego, but it keeps you from learning honestly from outcomes.

Two: how you feel is coloring what you see. Your emotions can tilt a decision any direction. You don't make decisions in a vacuum. You make them angry, scared, excited, or flat. That emotion isn't just background noise; it can be the steering wheel if you’re not careful. Name what you're feeling before you decide, so the feeling doesn't decide for you.

Three: pressure shrinks your thinking. When you're rushed, stressed, or someone's in your ear, your brain does less of what it does well. It's like trying to solve a problem while someone's yelling at you: the answer's in there, but you can't reach it. Recognize when the clock is squeezing you, and buy yourself even a single breath of space.

Four: watch the gap between what you know and what you think you know. Sometimes you're most confident about the very thing you know very little about. That false confidence feels identical to real knowledge, which is what makes it dangerous. It walks you straight down the wrong path with a smile on your face. The best decision-makers aren't the ones who are always sure; they're the ones who know where their certainty ends, and have prepared safety margins in case it doesn’t work out.

Great decision-making isn’t about being perfect or never feeling certain. It’s about knowing that even the most experienced minds are prone to hidden traps. The best leaders and performers aren’t immune to bias, emotion, or pressure; they build habits that help them notice when these forces are quietly shaping their thinking.

If you remember anything, let it be this: the most dangerous decisions are often the ones you make on autopilot, convinced you’re seeing things clearly. When you pause to examine your assumptions, challenge your comfort, and acknowledge the limits of your knowledge, you make room for better choices, ones that are grounded in clarity, not just confidence. Every big decision is an opportunity to step back, question your thinking, and grow as a decision-maker. That’s where true expertise lives.

Have a great week!

Justin Su'a

At the Performance Advisory Group, we’re passionate about helping people live a process-driven life. If you’re a sports parent and interested in your child working with one of our Process Coaches, reply to this email, and I'll give you more details.

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