Decision making tip to help prioritize your bullet journal lists

Use the Pairwise Comparison technique to help figure out what is at the top on your list!

I discovered Bullet Journaling and now I am obsessed.  I have been creating lists of places I want to go, movies I want to watch and things I need to get done!  Now, I want to reorder my list based on what is the most important.

In my career, I have been a Project Manager, Scrum Master, Business Analyst, and Product Owner - all roles that are faced with the challenge to get decisions made and priorities set. I learned this technique called: Pairwise Comparison.

Basically, you create your wish list of all the things you want, in this case my Places That I Want to Visit list.  Ireland has always been a place I want to visit, so it went first on my list.

Then you create a grid where you have to chose one over the other. This forces you to make your choices by comparing them head-to-head.  After you are done, you can clearly see the order of your preference.  In my case, I learned that Cuba is actually the first place I want to visit.

Choose what you want in a side-by-side comparison.

How to make a pairwise comparison chart:

1. List all your choices on the left.
2. List all your choices across the top in the same order.
3. Cross off all the boxes where the item on the left side matches the item on the top.  You don't need to fill out the redundant choices.
4. Work your way through the grid to decide which you prefer over the other.  For example: The first box I had to choose if I wanted to go to Ireland (IR) over China (CH).
5. After you are done making all your decisions, then count up the selections and reorder the list.  In my case, I wrote down my top three: Cuba, Ireland and then Peru.

Use the pairwise comparison technique to help you focus on your true wants and desires. If you are interested in more ideas for bullet journaling, please visit my Pinterest Board.