How to Index Your Career Database?

How to avoid repetitive decision making

In engineering, we add indexes to databases to speed up searches.

Without them, every query triggers a full-table scan — slow, expensive, and frustrating.
But with the right index, answers appear instantly. Queries become lightweight. The system flows.

Now here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Most people manage their careers like unindexed databases.

Every decision - switching teams, taking a job, launching a side project triggers a slow mental scan.
"Should I do this?"
"Is this aligned with my goals?"
"Will this get me closer to where I want to be?"

You think through it all… again. Every. Single. Time.

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The Cost of Unindexed Careers

I used to operate like this too:

• My career wins were scattered across old docs, chats, and emails

• I had no clear criteria for saying yes or no to new work

• When a recruiter messaged me, I had no answer to “What are you optimizing for?”

I wasn’t lost. I was just recomputing decisions that could’ve been cached.

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What Does It Mean to Index Your Career?

Think of a career index as a set of quick-access keys to your most important mental models:

• What do you care about?

• What are you good at?

• What kind of work gives you energy?

• What trade-offs are you currently willing (or not willing) to make?

When these are defined and surfaced, decision-making becomes faster and sharper.
You’re not scrambling. You’re navigating.

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🧠 My Indexes (and How You Can Build Yours)

1. Decision Index → What to Say Yes/No To?

My filter includes questions like:

• “Will I get to build with smart, high-agency people?”

• “Does this increase my surface area of luck?”

• “Is this moving me toward autonomy?”

This index saved me from chasing shiny roles that looked good but felt wrong.
I now have clarity at the point of decision.

✅ Build Yours: List 3–5 personal “yes filters.” Keep it short

Gut-driven > perfect

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2. Impact Index → Your Highlight Reel

This is a running log of high-impact work I’ve done:
Projects where I shipped outcomes, made key decisions, and solved hard problems.

It’s not just for resumes. It helps me:

• Craft better performance reviews

• Tell crisp stories in interviews

• Remind myself what I’ve already done

✅ Build Yours: Start a doc called “Career Wins.”

Add a bullet every time you ship something real.

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3. People Index → Who to Ask for What?

Over the years, I’ve built a list of people I trust for honest input.
I tag them by category:

• Tech strategy

• Solopreneuship

• Product thinking

• Mental health

Now, when I’m stuck, I don’t scroll LinkedIn but just reach out.

✅ Build Yours: Make a “Trusted 10” list

Add their names, areas of strength, and last time you talked

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4. Direction Index → What Are You Optimizing For Now?

This changes with seasons.

For example, in 2022, I was optimizing for scope and visibility.
In 2024, it shifted to autonomy and leverage (hello side projects + writing)

This index keeps me honest about why I’m making certain moves, even if they look weird from the outside

✅ Build Yours: Write this sentence:

“Right now, I’m optimizing for ____ even if it costs me ____.”

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💡 Why Indexing Works

You stop second-guessing. You don’t lose steam trying to remember what matters.
You automate the boring mental scans and reserve energy for actual building.

Just like a well-indexed database, you:

• Retrieve relevant insight instantly

• Reduce latency in decision-making

• Improve system performance over time

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Start Here

You don’t need a fancy Notion template. Open a doc. Write these 4 things:

1. 3 questions to filter new opportunities

2. 3 wins you're proud of from the last year

3. 3 people you can message when you're stuck

4. 1 sentence on what you're optimizing for right now

Boom. Your Career Index v0 is live.
Iterate weekly. Clarity compounds.

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