Gorp
Personal decision journal
Say what you believe right before you decide, and what you expect to happen. Later, compare that with what did happen, without rewriting the first entry.
Use one decision per entry, then make a separate review note later.
What you end up with
A dated record of a decision, its assumptions, and the outcome you expected.
Before you start
- Name the actual choice and the alternatives you are considering.
- Choose which details you are comfortable storing and processing with your selected AI provider.
- Pick a review date yourself if one would be useful.
Record the reasoning before the result
Speak or type the options, what you know, what you are assuming, and what would change your mind. Use the decision-journal template. A short entry is enough if it captures the tradeoff you are making.
Keep predictions visible
Write down an expected outcome and how you would recognize it. Review the generated note so assumptions remain assumptions. Gorp organizes the entry; it does not determine which option is best.
Set your own follow-up
Add a review date to My notes if you want one, and put a reminder in your usual calendar or task app. This template does not schedule a reminder automatically.
Review without overwriting the original
Create a separate dated review in the same folder. Link or name the original entry and compare what happened with what you expected. Keep the original reasoning intact so hindsight does not erase it.
Questions to try
Use these as prompts, then follow the conversation.
- What are my actual alternatives?
- What do I know, and what am I assuming?
- What am I giving up with this choice?
- What outcome do I expect?
- What evidence would change my mind?
Keep the assumption distinct from the choice
What you put in My notes
Decision: try the earlier train for two weeks. Alternative: keep driving. Assumption: the connection will usually be reliable. Expected result: less time lost in traffic. Review: after ten commutes. Unknown: whether I can work comfortably onboard.
What you are aiming for
A small experiment with a stated assumption and a review point, without invented certainty.
Your starter template
In Settings → Templates → Browse starter templates…, add an editable copy of this template and save settings. Or create a Blank template. Name it “Personal decision journal”, paste the outline and guidance below into their matching fields, and save settings. Choose the template in your note; use Insert outline if My notes is empty. The download is a text worksheet you can keep, not a one-click import file.
Download the starter worksheet ↓Outline
## Decision and date ## Options considered ## What I know and what I assume ## Reasons and tradeoffs ## Expected outcome ## What would change my mind ## Review date I chose
Note-writing guidance
Preserve the user's reasoning at the time of this entry. Distinguish facts supplied, assumptions, hopes, predictions, and the decision actually made. Include alternatives, tradeoffs, and review dates only when stated. Do not recommend a decision, manufacture confidence, or import later knowledge into the original account. If the user has not decided, label the entry undecided. Leave missing expectations and uncertainties visible.
Newer tools worth trying
These are in the current Mac preview. Nothing is shared or added to Reminders until you review it and say so.
The starter-template browser adds an editable copy in Settings → Templates. Keep each decision and later review as separate dated notes.
When an explicit review action has been confirmed against saved audio, Plan… can attach a person-set due day. Add to Reminders… previews the copy and its source link. Template text alone does not create a reminder, and Gorp does not overwrite later edits in Reminders.
Project history… in the library sidebar or Edit menu shows confirmed decisions, actions and noted questions in a folder or tag you choose. Open or listen to the source, search planning details, and copy the shown history. Repeated statements keep their dates and source notes; discussion does not automatically complete actions or replace earlier decisions.
What still needs your judgment
- The template does not provide professional advice or automatically assess your decision.
- Review dates are note text; reminder scheduling remains a separate action.
For processing choices and data flow, see the privacy setup guide.