The Power of Opportunity Cost
Every choice you make silently turns down countless others. That’s the essence of opportunity cost—the hidden price of every “yes.”
🧠 What Is Opportunity Cost?
Opportunity cost is what you give up when you choose one option over another. It’s not always money—it could be time, energy, focus, or experiences.
Why It Matters
Opportunity cost is a powerful decision-making lens that helps you:
- Surface invisible trade-offs
- Avoid default or automatic decisions
- Reduce FOMO and indecision
- Clarify how you spend limited time and energy
The Five Assumptions Behind Opportunity Cost
- Resources are limited (time, money, attention)
- Options are mutually exclusive — choosing one means missing out on another
- Benefits can be compared, even if qualitatively
- You’re acting deliberately, not reactively
- Your best option changes — reassess regularly
A Simple Example: The Weekend Choice
Scenario: You’re torn between…
🧑💼 Attending a Workshop: skills, networking, career growth
🏖️ Going to the Beach: rest, family bonding, memories
Ask yourself:
“If I choose the workshop, what do I give up? If I choose the beach, what am I forgoing?”
There’s no right answer—just a more aware one. This lens makes the consequences of your choice clearer.
Quick Tip: Shift Your Language
Instead of saying:
“I can’t afford it” or “I don’t have time”
Say:
“I’m choosing X instead of Y”
This small change:
- Increases clarity
- Builds self-awareness
- Removes guilt
✅ Final Takeaway
Opportunity cost isn’t about perfection—it’s about conscious trade-offs. When you name what you’re giving up, you make better, more intentional decisions.
Want to think better and choose more wisely? Start with what you’re saying “no” to every time you say “yes.”
Here’s a table created with mentalmodelsapp.com that guides your path towards a potential solution:
Suddenly, decisions get clearer, faster, and far less guilt-ridden.
Written for the Mental Models App by Hyper Lexia — may your decisions be as sharp as your curiosity.
Persistent Decisions 