The Energy-and-Values Decision Filter
Test opportunities by sustained energy, personal values, and strategic space.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 93%
This filter treats personal energy and values as decision inputs rather than dismissing them as irrational. The leader first observes whether an opportunity produces sustained, generative energy: ideas continue arriving and interest deepens after time has passed. This signal is then checked against explicit personal values, strategic direction, and the consequences for family, team, and wellbeing. A choice can therefore be rejected even when it is profitable, enjoyable, and externally sensible if it consumes the space required for a more aligned future. Conversely, an initially uncomfortable choice may be correct when it expresses a core value such as courage. The output is not impulsive self-indulgence but a deliberately tested commitment supported by honest communication.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show as Jasmine described canceling a successful second mastermind cohort to preserve space for an emerging idea and live according to courage.
Core principles
- 01Treat sustained energy as useful decision data.
- 02Distinguish generative enthusiasm from a fleeting shiny object.
- 03Define personal values, not only company values.
- 04Expect courageous values to require uncomfortable choices.
- 05Recognize that choosing yourself can strengthen the people who depend on you.
How to run it
- 1
Observe the Energy Signal
Notice how your body and attention respond when you consider the opportunity. Record whether it generates curiosity, momentum, and further ideas or creates persistent depletion.
Pro tip Evaluate the signal across several encounters rather than one emotional moment.
Watch out Excitement caused by novelty can resemble meaningful energy.
- 2
Test for Persistence
Sit with the idea instead of acting immediately. A durable signal tends to keep producing relevant ideas rather than disappearing when the novelty fades.
Pro tip Set a specific reflection window appropriate to the decision's urgency.
Watch out Do not use prolonged reflection to avoid a necessary choice.
- 3
Compare It With Your Values
Name the personal values the choice expresses or violates. Ask whether an outside observer could see those values in the resulting behavior.
Pro tip Limit your core values to a small set you can genuinely use in trade-offs.
Watch out A value is meaningless if it only applies when the decision is comfortable.
- 4
Assess the Wider System
Consider how your state will affect the team, business, and family. Reframe self-supporting choices by examining whether greater energy enables you to serve others better.
Pro tip Separate short-term disappointment from long-term harm.
Watch out Do not label every personal preference selfless without examining its real consequences.
- 5
Choose and Create Space
Release the conflicting commitment when the tested signal and values point elsewhere. Reserve the actual time and attention needed for the aligned direction.
Pro tip Specify what the newly created capacity will be used to explore or build.
Watch out Space without boundaries can disappear into routine work.
- 6
Tell the Truth
Explain the decision directly to affected people, including why it may not make conventional sense. Accept that others may form opinions about it.
Pro tip Use personal communication when people made commitments based on the previous plan.
Watch out Avoid pretending certainty about an idea that is still emerging.
In the wild
A second mastermind cohort had demand, a wait list, promotional assets, strong revenue potential, and work Jasmine enjoyed. Yet a different idea kept producing more energy and possibilities. She chose to cancel the cohort, personally explain the decision to applicants, and preserve time to create and plan a new launch.
→ She aligned her capacity with an emerging vision despite the opportunity cost and external uncertainty.
Common mistakes
Following the First Burst of Excitement
Novelty can generate temporary enthusiasm, so the energy signal should persist and produce coherent ideas before driving a major decision.
Creating Only Business Values
Company values cannot fully guide personal trade-offs involving identity, family, energy, and the leader's desired life.
Calling Every Self-Directed Choice Selfish
A choice that restores the leader's energy may improve their ability to support the team and family, although its effects still require honest assessment.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for established entrepreneurs choosing among multiple viable opportunities rather than between obvious success and failure.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for emergency, legal, or safety decisions that require objective evidence and immediate action.
From the transcript
“I know it is the right decision when I feel energetic toward it.”
“All of a sudden I just felt like it was energy that bred energy.”
“when I choose myself, I am choosing them.”
From the episode
Why Making “Selfish Decisions” Will Make You a Stronger Entrepreneur