Patterns in Decision Making: How to Notice Repeating Loops in Your Life

If you pay close attention, you’ll notice a simple but powerful truth:

Your life, work, and family are shaped by patterns — the recurring loops that quietly influence your choices, often long before you’re aware they’re happening. These patterns shape what you believe, how you behave, and the way you pursue fulfillment. Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive loops form the backbone of your habits, routines, and decisions, influencing your personal growth and day-to-day direction.

Bringing these patterns into the light is a core step of the PULse Framework — Perspective, Unlock Patterns, Leverage Insights, Strategy, Evaluate — a rhythm designed for clear thinking and intentional living. Naming and understanding your patterns is essential for self-awareness because it aligns your intent with your actions and strengthens your decision-making.

The Rhythm Behind Change: A Quick Look at PULse

The framework blends the high-level thinking required to understand yourself and your direction with the grounded action needed for meaningful change. As a practical tool, the PULse Framework helps you understand and change decision-making patterns:

• P — Gain Perspective (The “See” Stage)
• U — Unlock Patterns (The “Understand” Stage)
• L — Leverage Insights (The “Connect” Stage)
• s — Strategy (The “Act” Stage)
• e — Evaluate (The “Adapt” Stage)

The first half of the framework — Perspective (P), Unlock Patterns (U), and Leverage Insights (L) — focuses on understanding how your mind, emotions, behaviors, and interpretations work beneath the surface, including the subconscious patterns that drive your automatic responses.

The second half — strategy (s) and evaluate (e) — turns that clarity into consistent action, measurable progress, and long-term alignment. Together, PULse gives you a structured way to navigate life with more intention and less noise, helping a person identify the point at which decisions or realizations occur.

Why PULse Works: The Natural Sequence of Real Growth

At a holistic level, PULse works because it mirrors how real change happens: first you see, then you understand, then you act. You zoom out to gain perspective, zoom inward to identify the loops shaping your choices, connect the dots to form insight, and finally move forward with a plan you can adapt as life evolves.

And that brings us to the focus of this article: the Unlock Patterns (U) stage — the moment you stop reacting from autopilot and start understanding just what hidden loops are influencing your decisions. At this point, you may realize how much your subconscious patterns have been guiding your actions.

Most people try to change their lives by changing their actions. But as authors like James Clear in (Atomic Habits) and Shane Parrish in (Clear Thinking) both argue, meaningful change happens when you change the systems beneath the actions.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman demonstrated why this is true: most decisions are handled by the fast, automatic System 1 long before our slow, logical System 2 arrives. Your patterns, therefore, are effectively making choices for you. Unlocking Patterns is the crucial step of engaging System 2 to review the System 1 defaults.

The Science Behind Your Loops: Why Emotion Comes First

Because research shows that emotions exert the strongest and earliest influence on decision-making, it makes sense to focus on emotional patterns first when unlocking your internal loops.

Studies consistently find that emotional states shape what we notice, how we interpret situations, and the choices we make — often before we’re even aware that a decision is happening. For example, psychologists Jennifer Lerner and colleagues found that emotions directly influence judgment and risk perception more powerfully than reasoning does.

Furthermore, neuroscience research also shows that the brain’s emotional centers activate faster than its cognitive processing regions, essentially “priming” behavior before conscious thought is engaged. Once an emotional reaction fires, behavior tends to follow, and cognition comes last — forming the interpretations and explanations that justify what already occurred.

This scientific insight sets the stage for your mission: To discover those loops influencing your direction. They fall into three categories: emotion → behavior → cognition. These sequences give you the most straightforward path to change because these patterns allow you to intervene where your decisions begin.

For practical examples, consider how feeling anxious before a meeting (emotion) might lead you to avoid speaking up (behavior), and later justify your silence by thinking you had nothing valuable to add (cognition). Or, excitement about a new project (emotion) could prompt you to volunteer for extra tasks (behavior), which you then explain as wanting to grow your skills (cognition).

Now that we have uncovered some of the science behind our magnificent and, at times, irrational brains. Your mission: To discover those patterns so you can finally see the loops influencing your direction. Strategies for breaking these loops can be tailored to a specific audience or individual needs, ensuring that interventions are relevant and effective for the people they are meant to help.

1. Emotional Patterns: What rises first?

Your emotional patterns shape the tone of your decisions before logic gets a chance to weigh in. Emotions are fast, instinctive, and deeply tied to past experiences. Recognizing them helps you respond with clarity rather than react out of habit.

What emotions rise fastest under pressure?

Your first emotional reaction is your internal alarm system. Whether it’s frustration, anxiety, urgency, or defensiveness, this spike reveals what feels threatened or uncertain in the moment. Understanding this helps you identify why certain situations immediately activate you.

Which emotions lead to your best decisions — and which lead to your worst?

Some emotions push you toward grounded, wise choices, while others rush you into reaction. Courage and curiosity often lead to clarity; fear or resentment leads to missteps. Knowing which emotions support you helps you pause before reacting to the ones that don’t.

What emotions do you avoid or chase?

Avoiding emotions, such as uncertainty or conflict, often creates patterns of procrastination, withdrawal, or appeasement. Chasing emotions such as certainty or validation can lead to overthinking or overworking. Naming these emotional drivers reveals the subtle forces influencing your daily choices.

2. Behavioral Patterns: What happens automatically?

Behavioral patterns, also known as behavior patterns, are the visible actions you take without intention. They form through repetition, stress responses, and past reinforcement — and once triggered, they run like muscle memory. Observing them reveals how you instinctively move through the world.

What do you do the moment things feel overwhelming?

Some people speed up and try to control everything; others shut down or escape into distraction. These responses are not random — they’re learned protection strategies. Seeing them clearly helps you interrupt the cycle and choose a healthier response.

Which behaviors repeat whether you want them to or not?

These are the habits that override intention — rushing decisions, avoiding tough conversations, or taking on too much. They persist because they are familiar and predictable. Recognizing them gives you leverage to create better automatic responses.

Which behaviors move you closer to your purpose — and which pull you away?

Every behavior either reinforces your direction or diverts you from it. Small daily choices — listening before reacting, slowing down before deciding, preparing instead of improvising — accumulate faster than you think. Identifying the difference helps you build loops that support long-term momentum.

3. Cognitive Patterns: The mental shortcuts shaping your interpretation

Cognitive patterns in the Unlock Patterns (U) stage are not about high-level reflection (that’s the Perspective (P) stage). Instead, they are the knee-jerk interpretations your mind creates before deeper thinking begins. They are the cognitive biases that act as mental shortcuts, shaping how you understand situations—and therefore how you react.

What assumptions do you make when you don’t have all the information?

Some people fill the gaps with worst-case scenarios; others assume blame, or expect conflict, or assume everything is fine when it isn’t. These assumptions aren’t random — they’re learned shortcuts your mind uses to manage uncertainty. Seeing them clearly helps you respond accurately rather than resorting to guesswork.

What mental shortcuts does your mind rely on when things move fast?

Under pressure, the mind jumps to conclusions, catastrophizes, minimizes, or overgeneralizes. These shortcuts conserve mental energy but often distort reality. Recognizing them helps you pause long enough to check your thinking before acting.

How do you frame setbacks or challenges the moment they happen?

Some frame setbacks as proof of failure; others see them as feedback, data, or temporary obstacles. Your initial framing shapes your perseverance and direction. Seeing your framing pattern gives you the ability to reinterpret challenges rather than be defined by them.

Subconscious Patterns: The Hidden Loops You Don’t See

Subconscious patterns are the silent drivers behind much of what we think, feel, and do. These hidden loops operate beneath our conscious awareness, quietly shaping our daily choices, relationships, and even our sense of self. Often, we move through life on autopilot, not realizing how these subconscious patterns influence our behaviors and emotional responses.

By bringing awareness to these patterns, we gain the power to break free from old habits and create new, more empowering ways of living. Recognizing subconscious patterns is the first step toward understanding why certain feelings or behaviors keep repeating, even when we consciously want to change. With greater awareness, we can begin to rewrite these hidden scripts and open the door to personal growth and fulfillment.

How subconscious beliefs drive your daily choices

At the core of every subconscious pattern lies a set of subconscious beliefs, deeply rooted convictions that shape our emotions, reactions, and decisions. These beliefs often form early in life and become the lens through which we interpret the world. For example, if a person holds a subconscious belief that they are not good enough, this pattern may trigger feelings of fear or self-doubt whenever they face new challenges. On the other hand, someone who believes they are capable and deserving is more likely to approach obstacles with confidence and resilience.

By becoming aware of these underlying beliefs, we can begin to challenge and transform them, leading to more intentional and fulfilling choices. The process starts with noticing the emotions and patterns that arise in difficult moments, then asking what belief might be driving them. As you begin to uncover these subconscious patterns, you gain the ability to choose new responses and break free from the limitations of old thinking.

Spotting the invisible scripts behind your habits

Many of our daily habits are guided by subconscious patterns, automatic scripts that play out without us even realizing it. These invisible scripts can drive behaviors like procrastination, perfectionism, or avoidance, often rooted in deeper fears or beliefs. For example, a person who habitually puts off important tasks may discover that their subconscious pattern is driven by a fear of failure or a need for everything to be perfect.

By spotting these patterns, you gain valuable insight into the real reasons behind your habits. The key is to begin observing your behaviors with curiosity rather than judgment.

Ask yourself: What emotion or thought comes up right before I act this way? What pattern keeps repeating, no matter how much I try to change? As you gain insight into these invisible scripts, you can start to make more conscious choices and gradually shift your habits in a healthier direction.

Breaking Harmful Patterns: Turning Awareness into Change

Awareness is the first step, but breaking harmful patterns requires action. Once you recognize the emotional patterns and subconscious patterns that drive your habits and behaviors, you can begin the process of real change. This means not only noticing the patterns, but also developing new strategies to replace them with healthier, more empowering responses.

The journey involves identifying the emotions, thoughts, and beliefs that underlie your old habits, and then practicing new behaviors that align with your goals and values. As you begin this process, remember that change is gradual. Each small step builds momentum. With consistent awareness and intentional action, you can transform even the most stubborn patterns and create lasting change in your life.

Identifying loops that hold you back

To break free from harmful patterns, you first need to identify the loops that keep you stuck. These loops are cycles of negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that reinforce each other, making change feel difficult.

For example, a person struggling with anxiety might notice a loop that starts with catastrophic thinking, leads to physical tension, and results in avoidance behaviors. By becoming aware of this pattern, you can begin to interrupt it.

By practicing mindfulness, reframing negative thoughts, or using relaxation techniques. The key is to recognize the specific patterns that hold you back and develop strategies to break the cycle. As you do this, you’ll find that your ability to choose new responses grows stronger, and your old habits lose their grip.

A Quiet Note on Reflection, Spirit, and Daily Practice

There’s also a quieter side to this work — the part that sits beneath the noise and helps you see yourself with more honesty. You don’t have to be deeply religious to feel it; just having some form of spiritual rhythm in your life makes these discoveries easier to spot.

When you slow down long enough to breathe, journal, pray, or sit in silence for a moment, patterns that were once buried begin to surface. Journaling or documenting your journey is a form of awareness that allows you to capture your growth and insights. Each journal entry or reflection can be seen as a new page in your personal growth story. You start to notice what triggered you, what rose first, and how you reacted without thinking. You begin to see your loops in motion.

You don’t need a dramatic change to begin. A quick note in a journal, a three-minute pause before deciding, or even a short end-of-day reflection can reveal more than you expect. Over time, these small practices help you build awareness.

The daily work is simple: catch the moment, name the pattern, choose a slightly better response.

Why Unlocking Patterns Matters in the PULse Framework

Unlocking your patterns is the bridge between Perspective and meaningful change. Emotional patterns reveal what activates you. Behavioral patterns show how you respond automatically. Cognitive patterns show how you interpret the world before intention arrives.

Once you understand these loops, you stop reacting from habit and start leading from clarity. Patterns don’t define you — they reveal where your potential is waiting to be unlocked.