Deathbed Decision Lens
Use life's finiteness to test whether today's choices deserve your time
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
Bartlett describes deathbed thinking as a way to make the passage of time visible and test whether a decision matters. Start with the choice currently consuming attention, then imagine looking back on it near the end of life. Ask which consequences would still matter, whether the decision reflects the person you want to be, and what you might regret leaving untried. Return from that distant view to one proportionate action now. The method does not predict the future or make risk disappear; it changes the time horizon so fear, status, and routine can be compared with deeper priorities. Millar's account of uncertain findings on a brain scan illustrates a related reflection: she concluded that she valued much of her existing life, while the experience may also have helped her become more open to changing jobs. Medical details remain her personal account, not a diagnosis or recommendation.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO. Steven Bartlett names his practice “deathbed thinking” and describes using an hourglass as a visual reminder to ask whether a choice matters and whether he is living true to himself.
Core principles
- 01Time is finite even when daily life makes it feel abundant
- 02A distant perspective can expose trivial priorities
- 03The test concerns personal alignment rather than certainty of outcome
- 04Reflection should lead to a present decision
How to run it
- 1
Name the Decision
Choose one decision or recurring use of time rather than reflecting on life in the abstract. State what is at stake now.
Pro tip Use a reversible decision first while learning the lens.
- 2
Move the Viewpoint
Imagine looking back from near the end of life, when present status pressures and routines no longer dominate the frame. Notice which parts of the decision remain important.
Pro tip A physical reminder of passing time can make the exercise less abstract.
Watch out Do not use mortality imagery if it intensifies distress; choose a calmer long-term viewpoint instead.
- 3
Test Personal Alignment
Ask whether each option reflects the values, relationships, and experiences you want your life to contain. Distinguish genuine desire from social expectation.
Pro tip Complete the sentence: I would regret not trying this because…
- 4
Return to Present Facts
Bring the perspective back to current constraints, evidence, and responsibilities. The lens informs judgement but does not replace practical due diligence.
Watch out Use qualified advice for medical, legal, or high-stakes financial choices.
- 5
Take a Proportionate Step
Choose the smallest action that moves the decision toward the aligned option. Review the result before escalating commitment.
Pro tip Prefer a conversation or experiment before an irreversible leap.
In the wild
Bartlett keeps an hourglass as a visual representation of time passing. He says it prompts questions about whether the present issue is important, whether he is making the right decisions, and whether he is living true to himself.
→ A distant concern about mortality becomes a recurring present-day priority check.
Millar says an MRI after a cycling accident showed unexplained brain patterns that clinicians monitored without a settled explanation. During the uncertainty, she considered what she would change and concluded that she valued her work, friendships, and spending choices, while later suspecting the reflection made a new career opportunity easier to accept.
→ The experience affirmed much of her current life while loosening resistance to a career change.
Common mistakes
Using Mortality to Manufacture Panic
The purpose is a clearer time horizon, not pressure to make every decision immediately.
Ignoring Present Constraints
Long-term perspective must still be reconciled with current evidence, responsibilities, and risk.
Treating Reflection as Diagnosis
Millar's medical story is an unresolved personal account and does not support medical conclusions or advice.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for reversible career, relationship, and priority decisions that feel important but have become obscured by short-term anxiety.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for acute medical, mental-health, legal, or financial decisions that require qualified advice and immediate facts.
From the transcript
“is this important and am i making the right decisions am i living true to myself”
“giving you that perspective of from your deathbed potentially”
From the episode
How To Chase Your Dreams Without Fear Holding You Back with Fran Millar