Could-to-Will Choice List
Generate choices without pressure, then commit to the few you will do
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 98%
The Could-to-Will Choice List replaces coercive internal language with deliberate choice. Divide a page into two columns. In the first, write everything you could do, including small, imperfect, and inactive options. The word could encourages divergent thinking without forcing an immediate commitment and reminds you that choices remain available. Review the list and select only one to three actions you are genuinely prepared to take. Move those into the second column under I will, then follow through. The method separates option generation from commitment, reduces resistance associated with should, and rebuilds autonomy through chosen action. Its value comes not merely from making a list but from completing the small number of explicit commitments.
Origin
Dr. Shadé Zahrai shares the two-column tool while explaining how autonomy trains an internal locus of control.
Core principles
- 01Should language can trigger guilt or resistance
- 02Could language restores perceived choice
- 03Divergent thinking should precede commitment
- 04Autonomy grows through kept commitments
How to run it
- 1
Replace should with could
Rephrase the stuck situation as a set of possible choices rather than obligations.
Pro tip Include uncomfortable and minimal options to make choice visible.
Watch out Could is for exploration, not endless postponement.
- 2
Generate the could list
Write every realistic action in the left column without committing yet.
Pro tip Keep options concrete and behavioral.
Watch out Do not evaluate each option while generating it.
- 3
Choose the will list
Select one, two, or three actions and place them in the right column.
Pro tip Prefer actions within your control.
Watch out Selecting too many recreates overwhelm.
- 4
Follow through
Complete the selected actions and treat completion as evidence of personal power.
Pro tip Start with the smallest committed action.
Watch out A written will without action does not restore autonomy.
In the wild
After a setback, Arun writes that he could stay in bed, take a shower, call a colleague, review one page, or go for a walk. He chooses showering and calling the colleague as his two I will items and completes both.
→ The day shifts from helplessness to chosen movement.
Common mistakes
Turning every could into a will
The method depends on narrowing options to a few credible commitments.
Listing uncontrollable outcomes
Write actions you can take, not results other people or markets must deliver.
Is it for you?
Best for
Moments of overwhelm, resentment, or paralysis where many actions feel like imposed shoulds.
Not ideal for
Emergency procedures or mandatory duties where open option generation would delay necessary action.
From the transcript
“On the left, you've got your I could list. You write down everything that you could do.”
“What is the one, two or three things that you will commit to doing?”
From the episode
Episode 521: Dr. Shadé Zahrai, PhD: The Science of Acting Through Self-Doubt
Dr. Shadé Zahrai, PhD