And Then What?
The consequence chain tool takes one decision and asks 'and then what?' repeatedly, forcing you past the first, obvious consequence into the second and third order effects most people stop before reaching. Each answer becomes the input for the next question.
When to use it
Use it for tempting shortcuts and habits that have an appealing immediate payoff — skipping a workout, taking on one more client, saying yes to avoid an awkward conversation — where the first consequence is good and that's exactly why it's easy to stop looking there.
When it's the wrong tool
It's the wrong tool for decisions where the chain is genuinely short and predictable, like buying groceries, where chaining out five steps just manufactures anxiety over nothing. It also stops being useful past three or four links, since each step compounds uncertainty and a six-link chain of guesses is closer to fiction than forecasting.
An example
A freelancer is offered a rush project at double rate. First consequence: extra income this month. And then what? They're too tired to do their other client's work well. And then what? That client notices the drop in quality. And then what? The steady client, worth more over a year than the rush job, starts looking elsewhere. The first link looked like a clear win; the third link is the one that actually mattered.
How it works
- Write the decision you're considering at the top.
- Ask 'and then what happens?' and write the first consequence.
- Take that consequence and ask 'and then what?' again.
- Repeat two or three more times, then look at which link changes your mind.
The tool below is free and needs no account. Nothing you type leaves your browser unless you save it.
Pros & Cons — weighted
The classic, fixed: big reasons outweigh many small ones.
3 min · any yes/no decisionDecision Matrix
Choosing between options? Score what matters, get a winner.
4 min · jobs, homes, purchasesThe Honest Coin
Flip it — then notice which side you were rooting for.
30 sec · when you secretly already know10 / 10 / 10
How will this feel in 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years?
2 min · emotional decisionsAnd Then What?
Play the decision forward. The second consequence is usually the opposite of the first.
3 min · tempting shortcuts & habitsPremortem
It's a year later and it failed. Write why — before it can.
4 min · big plans & launchesInvert It
Stop asking how to succeed. List how you'd guarantee failure — then stop doing those.
3 min · goals that keep stallingWrong by Half
Every plan rests on a guessed number. How wrong can you afford that guess to be?
2 min · budgets, timelines, runwayWho's Paid For This?
People don't do what you want. They do what they're rewarded for. Find out which.
3 min · plans that need other peopleDown to the Bricks
Sort your constraints into what's actually true and what's just how it's done.
4 min · "that's impossible" problemsRegret Minimization
Ask your 80-year-old self. They're surprisingly clear.
1 min · leaps & life changesTwo-Way Door
Reversible? Then stop deliberating and go find out.
45 sec · over-thinking small stakesDig to the Root
Your own problem, one why at a time, until you hit something you can change.
5 min · the thing that keeps coming backPrefer to train the thinking behind these instead of reaching for a tool each time? The frameworks are explained free, and one drill takes about a minute.