Daily life, our jobs, our relationships, or hobbies, all require us to make decisions, sometimes hundreds of them every day. And while many are a necessary and sometimes enjoyable part of life, many are simply a drain on our energy.
Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon – simply put it’s the “deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making.”
So what can we do? In the sage words of Peter Drucker, “Don’t make a hundred decisions when one will do.”
There are always patterns in the chaos, ‘master decisions’ we can make to take away the option of the micro.
Dressing like a cartoon character – Einstein wore the same suit every day, Steve Jobs had his famous turtleneck. Choosing to stick to a specific diet, for example being a vegan. Making certain activities non-negotiable, meditation, exercise, brushing your teeth. Having a defined set of principles you’ve thought about deeply, for example, working with certain types of client. All of these take a lot of decisions off the table.
A quick inventory of needless or poor decisions you’re making daily can point to the need for a ‘master decision.’ But think well – unilateral decisions should be something you’re truly aligned to, and where the benefit of simplicity outweighs the pleasure of choosing.