This reminds me of The Best 4th Thing (TM). The 1st thing you think of is too obvious (the yes), the 2nd one is too ridiculous (the no). The 3rd thing is a maybe, and the 4th thing is usually the best option. I don't know if this works consistently for everyone, but Justin Cronin was fond of it.

I think it was advice I came across in a Donald Maass book, and it can be a pain to work through, but it does help!