Day 25: Ask AI for two options and a recommendation.

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Most people ask AI for one answer.

You describe the problem, it hands back a single response, and you either use it or start over.

One answer feels efficient. But it quietly hides the thing you actually needed to see: the tradeoff.

There is a better default for any decision-shaped question.

Ask for two distinct options, then ask for a recommendation.

The shape looks like this:

"Give me two different approaches to this. Make them genuinely different, not two versions of the same idea. Then tell me which one you would pick and why."

That small change does three useful things.

It forces a real comparison instead of a lucky first guess. It surfaces the assumptions hiding inside each path. And it still gives you a clear pick, so you are not left juggling options with no opinion attached.

This works almost everywhere.

Two subject lines, then the stronger one. Two ways to structure a tough message, then the one that lands better. Two plans for the weekend project, then the realistic call.

The "and why" part matters most.

A recommendation without reasoning is just a coin flip with extra steps. A recommendation with reasoning shows you the logic, so you can agree, push back, or spot the assumption that does not fit your situation.

One caution: do not let the recommendation become the decision. AI does not know your budget, your team, or how much risk you can stomach. It gives you a sharper starting point, not the final word.

So treat it like a smart colleague who thinks out loud. Two options on the table. A clear opinion. And enough reasoning that you can make the actual call yourself.

That is the whole tip. Stop asking for the answer. Ask for the choices, plus a pick you can argue with.

Tomorrow, I will show you how to make AI pressure-test a decision you have already made.

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