--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every decision has a cost. Do I have to…" description: "\"Every decision has a cost. Do I have to make this decision at all or can I move on to the next thing? What we decided to leave out is almost as importa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/joshua-schachter-56663_choice_every-decision-has-a-cost-do-i-have-to-m_2461019.jpg" --- # Every decision has a cost. Do I have to make this decision… ![“Every decision has a cost. Do I have to make this decision at all or can I move on to the next thing? What we decided to leave out is almost as important as what we put in.” quote by Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/joshua-schachter-56663_choice_every-decision-has-a-cost-do-i-have-to-m_2461019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/joshua-schachter-56663_choice_every-decision-has-a-cost-do-i-have-to-m_2461019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/joshua-schachter-56663_choice_every-decision-has-a-cost-do-i-have-to-m_2461019.jpg) > “Every decision has a cost. Do I have to make this decision at all or can I move on to the next thing? What we decided to leave out is almost as important as what we put in.” [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every choice carries a cost; sometimes not deciding is wiser, and what you omit matters as much as what you include **In simple terms:** Decisions have costs; omission is as important as inclusion Key Takeaway Consider both action and inaction costs before deciding Themes decision theory opportunity cost prioritization Mood analytical pragmatic Type strategic reflective When to use this quote - product development - personal budgeting - time management Key Concepts strategic thinking resource allocation project management Questions to Reflect On - What decisions could you defer without loss? - How do you evaluate what to leave out? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can stall progress; balance is needed ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-cost-654302/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decision Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-thing-654301/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Leave Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-important-654303/) [Make Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-decision/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) ## Related quotes > [The decision thing is just as leaky as the indecision thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-decision-thing-is-just-as-leaky-as-the-indecision-thing/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“I wanted to make the right decision, but that’s the thing that nobody ever had the decency to explain to me: sometimes there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-hart/i-wanted-to-make-the-right-decision-but-that-s-the-thing-that-nobody/) [S. Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-hart/) > [“All I know is that every time I've been faced with a tough decision, there's only one thing that outweighs every other concern. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-halpert/all-i-know-is-that-every-time-i-ve-been-faced-with-a-tough-decision/) [Jim Halpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-halpert/) > [“We've all led raucous lives, some of them inside, some of them out. But only the poem you leave behind is what's important. Everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wright/we-ve-all-led-raucous-lives-some-of-them-inside-some-of-them-out-but/) [Charles Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wright/) > [ For you, I'll leave any other joy, I'll leave it for you.. \[as in, you're more important than anything else for me.\] Because I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj/for-you-i-ll-leave-any-other-joy-i-ll-leave-it-for-you-as-in-you-re/) [AJ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj/) > [Leaving feels good and pure only when you leave something important, something that mattered to you. Pulling life out by the roots. But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/leaving-feels-good-and-pure-only-when-you-leave-something-important-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [But it was hard to leave because the show's been so important in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-bergen/but-it-was-hard-to-leave-because-the-show-s-been-so-important-in-our/) [Candice Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-bergen/) > [It's time for men to shatter the myth that family leave is important only for the mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-allred/it-s-time-for-men-to-shatter-the-myth-that-family-leave-is-important/) [Colin Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-allred/) > [There is no time to leave important words unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/there-is-no-time-to-leave-important-words-unsaid/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Life is too short to leave important words unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kookieemm/life-is-too-short-to-leave-important-words-unsaid/) [KookieEmm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kookieemm/) > [“These days, I'm not sure it's ever a good idea to leave anything important for tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/these-days-i-m-not-sure-it-s-ever-a-good-idea-to-leave-anything/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Leaving feels good and pure only when you leave something important, something that mattered to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/leaving-feels-good-and-pure-only-when-you-leave-something-important/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [It is easy to be clever if you leave something important out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-redgrove/it-is-easy-to-be-clever-if-you-leave-something-important-out/) [Peter Redgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-redgrove/) > [For me, the legacy you leave is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-rahm/for-me-the-legacy-you-leave-is-very-important/) [Jon Rahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-rahm/) > [“How do you leave someone who has been such an important part of your life for twenty-eight years, someone you love more than life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-s-ruff/how-do-you-leave-someone-who-has-been-such-an-important-part-of-your/) [K.S. Ruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-s-ruff/) ## More by Joshua Schachter > [You have to solve a problem that people actually have. But it's not always a problem that they know they have, so that's tricky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-schachter/you-have-to-solve-a-problem-that-people-actually-have-but-it-s-not/) [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) > [If you need scale in order to create value, it's hard to get scale, because there's little incentive for the first people to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-schachter/if-you-need-scale-in-order-to-create-value-it-s-hard-to-get-scale/) [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) > [We did a variant of the intern thing. We hired people as consultants for a specific thing and then if they were good, offered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-schachter/we-did-a-variant-of-the-intern-thing-we-hired-people-as-consultants/) [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) > [Reduce. Do as little as possible to get what you have to get done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-schachter/reduce-do-as-little-as-possible-to-get-what-you-have-to-get-done/) [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) > [Keep an idea log where you write everything down, even the bad ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-schachter/keep-an-idea-log-where-you-write-everything-down-even-the-bad-ideas/) [Joshua Schachter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) [Explore all 6 Joshua Schachter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-schachter/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every decision has a cost. 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