Orientation · Protocol 02
Needs Check
Distinguish a genuine need from a preference, impulse, expectation, or borrowed desire. The Needs Check helps you identify what you actually need before deciding what to do.
Three times this week…
- Pause when you strongly want something, feel dissatisfied, or feel pulled toward an action.
- Ask: What do I actually need right now?
- Ask: Is this a need—or am I trying to meet a need through something else?
- Don’t solve it yet. Identify the need underneath the feeling, impulse, or desire.
Why it matters
The thing you want is not always the thing you need. Greater clarity about needs can support better decisions.
Use the protocol, then return to your life.
This is a starting tool, not a demand to optimize everything at once. Try the protocol as written, notice what happens, and adapt only when you have something real to learn from.