Howard Pauchnik, an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based retired educator and coach, is adopting a simple decision and information habit to improve focus, reduce noise, and make choices with more consistency.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK / ACCESS Newswire / February 4, 2026 / Howard Pauchnik, a retired educator based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, today announced a personal policy he is adopting in his daily life: the Two-Source, One-Pause policy. The rule is simple. Before acting on important information or making a meaningful decision, he will (1) check two independent sources, and (2) take one deliberate pause before moving forward.

Pauchnik spent his working life teaching history and coaching high school basketball and baseball in Ohio and Oklahoma. He has also been an avid golfer since college and has competed in amateur golf tournaments in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Florida.

The new policy is motivated by a preference for steady routines and repeatable habits.

From a recent profile on Pauchnik's career:

1. "A school year has its own weather."

2. "The work is not glamorous. It is steady."

3. "There is a certain kind of discipline in hurdles."

4. "Most of it happens in the same spaces, year after year, with new teenagers cycling through."

Why this policy, and why now

The broader environment rewards speed, not accuracy. In the real world, the costs of noise can be high:

• The average global cost of a data breach reached USD 4.88 million in IBM's 2024 report.

• 90% of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes come across inaccurate news, including 42% who say it happens extremely often or often.

• About half of Americans (51%) say made-up news is a very big problem in their country.

• Gallup reported 50% of U.S. employees are "thriving" in their overall lives, a recent low in its tracking.

• In APA's Stress in America 2024 report, the overall average reported stress level was 5.0 out of 10.

What changed

Pauchnik's Two-Source, One-Pause policy has three parts:

1. Two-source check for important claims
   Health, money, privacy, and family decisions get verified with two independent sources before action.

2. One deliberate pause for meaningful decisions
   No rushed decisions when the stakes are real. He waits, reviews the facts, and then decides.

3. A "season" mindset
   Decisions get evaluated the way a school season does: by consistency over time, not by a single day.

Why it works

The policy is built on simple mechanics: repetition, verification, and reduced impulsivity. It is designed to prevent avoidable mistakes caused by incomplete information, emotional timing, or distraction.

How success is measured

Pauchnik will measure results using a short monthly scorecard:

• Fewer decisions reversed after new information appears

• Fewer time-wasting loops (re-reading, re-checking, second-guessing)

• A written record of major decisions and the two sources used

• Fewer accounts with unnecessary personal details visible online

• More consistent follow-through on weekly routines

Copy my approach: 10 steps you can implement

1. Pick three "high-stakes" areas: money, privacy, health, or career.

2. For those areas, commit to checking two independent sources.

3. Write down the sources you used in one sentence.

4. Add a one-pause rule: wait at least 10 minutes before finalising.

5. Make a simple checklist for repeat decisions (bills, sign-ups, subscriptions).

6. Reduce your inputs: unsubscribe from any feed that creates more confusion than clarity.

7. Create one weekly review block (15 minutes) for decisions you made that week.

8. Tighten privacy basics: passwords, account recovery email, and what is public on profiles.

9. Use a "season" metric: judge progress monthly, not daily.

10. Keep it small: one rule followed consistently beats five rules you forget.

Adopt one step today. Track it for 30 days. At the end, write down what changed in your clarity, your time, and your confidence in your decisions.

About Howard Pauchnik

Howard Pauchnik is a retired educator based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He taught history and coached basketball and baseball at high schools in Ohio and Oklahoma, and has been an avid golfer since college, competing in amateur tournaments across several U.S. states.

Media Contact

Howard Pauchnik
info@howardpauchnikoklahoma.com
https://www.howardpauchnikoklahoma.com/

SOURCE: Howard Pauchnik