How to Use Decylo Properly

This is your operating manual. Follow it, and Decylo becomes a real cognitive tool.

Most people use decision tools wrong. This guide prevents that.

Decylo is not here to tell you what to choose.

It is here to make you impossible to fool — especially by yourself.

The Decylo Loop:

Think→Predict→Choose→Act→Observe→Learn→Repeat

How Often to Log Decisions

Daily is ideal, but quality matters more

One real decision per day is enough. Don't force it. If you're not facing a meaningful choice, skip that day.

What counts as a "real" decision?

  • Something where multiple paths exist
  • Where the outcome actually matters to you
  • Where you're uncertain enough to benefit from structure

What doesn't count?

  • Routine choices (what to eat for lunch)
  • Obvious decisions (paying a bill on time)
  • Decisions you've already made (just logging for completeness)

The goal is consistency, not volume. Three thoughtful decisions per week beats seven rushed ones.

How to Score Honestly

Scoring is where self-deception creeps in. Here's how to stay honest:

Outcome Impact (1–10)

Ask: "If this goes well, how much does it meaningfully improve my life in the next 3–12 months?"

Examples:

  • 1–2: Switching coffee brands
  • 3–4: Trying a new workout routine
  • 5–6: Taking a course to learn a new skill
  • 7–8: Changing jobs or moving cities
  • 9–10: Getting married, starting a business, major life pivot

Most decisions are 3–6. If everything is 8+, you're inflating.

Cost & Effort (1–10)

Ask: "What will this option demand from me in time, money, energy, focus, and opportunity cost?"

Examples:

  • 1–2: Almost no cost (sending an email)
  • 3–4: Minor ongoing cost (subscription service)
  • 5–6: Noticeable commitment (weekly class for 3 months)
  • 7–8: Heavy ongoing burden (side business, major project)
  • 9–10: Consumes major time/money/energy (full career change)

Include emotional effort, not just tasks. Saying "no" to something can be high effort.

Downside Severity (1–10)

Ask: "If this option turns out badly, how painful are the consequences?"

Examples:

  • 1–2: Trivial downside (wasted $20)
  • 3–4: Minor setback (lost a week of progress)
  • 5–6: Serious inconvenience (damaged reputation, lost opportunity)
  • 7–8: Major setback (financial loss, relationship damage)
  • 9–10: Long-term damage (career-ending, health impact, legal trouble)

Estimate real damage, not fear. Most decisions have 3–5 downside severity.

How to Avoid Self-Bias

Decylo fights bias, but only if you're honest. Here's what to watch for:

Common Biases

Optimism Bias

You overestimate positive outcomes. Fix: When scoring Impact, ask "What's the realistic best case, not the fantasy?"

Confirmation Bias

You favor options that confirm what you already want. Fix: Score all options before looking at recommendations.

Loss Aversion

You overestimate downside severity. Fix: Ask "What's the worst that actually happens, not what I'm afraid of?"

Anchoring

Your first score influences the rest. Fix: Score all options, then review and adjust.

The Honesty Test

Before submitting, ask yourself:

  • Would I score this the same way if I showed it to someone I respect?
  • Am I inflating Impact because I want this option to win?
  • Am I deflating Cost because I don't want to admit the effort?
  • Is my Downside Severity based on fear or reality?

What Decision Health Actually Means

What Decision Quality Means

Decision Quality measures how accurately you predict the real consequences of your choices — and how often you follow through.

It's not about making "good" decisions. It's about being accurate about your predictions and closing the loop.

What a High Score (80+) Means

  • You're well-calibrated: when you're 70% confident, you're right ~70% of the time
  • You have good judgment in the areas you track
  • You're learning from outcomes and adjusting

What a Low Score (<50) Means

  • You're overconfident: you think you know more than you do
  • You're not learning from past outcomes
  • You might be scoring dishonestly (see "How to Score Honestly" above)

What a Medium Score (50–80) Means

  • You're improving but have room to grow
  • You might be inconsistent across categories
  • You're on the right track — keep logging outcomes

Decision Health improves slowly. Don't expect changes week-to-week. Look for trends over months.

What a Good Week vs Bad Week Looks Like

Good Week

3–5 decisions logged

Quality over quantity. Each decision was real and meaningful.

All outcomes logged

You closed every loop. No "Outcome due" cards lingering.

Honest scoring

Your scores reflect reality, not what you want to be true.

Learning captured

You wrote down what you learned from each outcome.

Bad Week

0–1 decisions logged

You're not using the tool, or logging trivial choices.

Outcomes not logged

Decisions pile up as "Outcome due." The loop isn't closing.

Inflated scores

Everything is 8+ Impact. You're not being honest with yourself.

No learning

You log outcomes but skip the "What did you learn?" field.

How to Use Insights to Change Future Behavior

Insights aren't just data. They're feedback loops. Here's how to use them:

Decision Health Trend

If it's going up: you're improving. Keep doing what you're doing.

If it's flat or going down: check Category Intelligence. Which areas are dragging you down?

Calibration Gap

This shows how far off your confidence predictions are.

If high: You're overconfident. Start scoring more conservatively. Ask "What could go wrong?" more often.

If low: You're well-calibrated. Trust your judgment in this area.

Category Intelligence

Shows which life domains you're strongest and weakest in.

Use it: When facing a decision in a weak category, be extra careful. Score more conservatively. Get input from others.

Pattern Warnings

Decylo will surface patterns like "Your last 5 high-confidence decisions in Health ended worse than expected."

Don't ignore these. They're your blind spots. Slow down. Question your assumptions.

The Weekly Review

Every Sunday, spend 5 minutes:

  1. Check your Decision Health trend
  2. Review Category Intelligence — which area needs work?
  3. Read your pattern warnings
  4. Ask: "What will I do differently next week based on this?"

Ready to Use Decylo Properly?

This guide is your foundation. Now go make better decisions.