The simple check to STOP you making BAD decisions

HALT: The Simple Check That Stops You Making Bad Decisions

Most poor decisions aren’t made because people are incapable.

They’re made because people are in the wrong state.

One of the simplest and most powerful tools I use with clients is HALT — a quick mental check that helps you recognise when not to make decisions.

HALT stands for:

• Hungry

• Angry

• Lonely

• Tired

These four states dramatically reduce the quality of your thinking — both in business and in life.

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Hungry: When urgency overrides logic

We’ve all done it.

You go food shopping hungry and suddenly your trolley is full of snacks, convenience food, and things you didn’t plan to buy. Logic disappears. Short-term comfort wins.

This doesn’t just apply to food.

In work and life, being “hungry” can also mean:

• Hungry for results

• Hungry for validation

• Hungry for success

When that hunger kicks in, you rush decisions:

• Taking on the wrong clients

• Saying yes when you should say no

• Chasing short-term wins that damage long-term goals

Solution:

✔ Eat properly

✔ Slow decisions down

✔ Delay big choices until you’re fuelled and calm

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Angry: When emotion takes control

Anger narrows your focus.

Emails get sharper. Conversations become defensive. Decisions become reactions.

In business, anger can lead to:

• Burning bridges

• Poor leadership conversations

• Decisions you later need to repair

In personal life, it damages relationships just as quickly.

Solution:

✔ Step away before responding

✔ Move your body (walks work wonders)

✔ Write the message — don’t send it

If it still feels right tomorrow, then decide.

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Lonely: When validation drives choices

Loneliness often hides behind busyness.

When people feel isolated, they:

• Stay in roles they’ve outgrown

• Accept less than they deserve

• Make decisions just to feel needed or accepted

This is common with business owners and leaders — surrounded by people, yet carrying everything alone.

Solution:

✔ Talk things through

✔ Build a support network

✔ Don’t decide in isolation

Perspective changes everything.

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Tired: When “easy” beats “right”

When you’re tired, discipline disappears.

You hit snooze instead of training.You avoid difficult conversations.You choose comfort over progress.

In business, tiredness leads to:

• Procrastination

• Poor planning

• Shortcuts that create bigger problems later

Solution:

✔ Prioritise sleep like performance

✔ Decide important things when energy is high

✔ Build routines that remove decision fatigue

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Why HALT matters

The quality of your life and business is shaped by the quality of your decisions.

And the quality of your decisions is shaped by your state.

HALT doesn’t mean “don’t act.”It means pause long enough to act wisely.

Before the email.

Before the purchase.

Before the argument.

Before the big business move.

HALT — and check where you’re really coming from.

Better awareness. Better choices. Better outcomes.