Beneath the surface

There is an exercise called "The 5 Why's" that is often used to get to the root cause of a problem. You start with the visible problem, and keep asking "why" to dig into the layers of underlying problems. Once you know the root cause, you can find a more effective solution.

Similarly, you can use "The 5 Why's" to make better decisions. Start with each reason why you are leaning toward an option, then ask yourself "Why is this important to me?" to dig down into your underlying motives.

Tip: If the 5 why's don't ultimately lead to "So I can be happy," you might want to ask why that is.