Breaking Through Decision Fatigue
Change. Things are changing . . . again. And with that change comes decisions. While we encounter a myriad of decisions each day, there is one big decision that each of us is facing at this particular time in history:
Are you going to rush back to the ways things were, return to “normal”, try to pick up where you left off in February 2020? OR Are you going to take time and choose how you want to be in life and what you want to do going forward?
I encourage you to do the latter – reflect and consciously, intentionally choose.
I know for some of you this may seem difficult given all the things with which you are dealing. The barrage of decisions to make - many of which would “normally” be habit or routine – seems endless.
How do any of us find time to engage with big picture, long term, quality of life questions when we are all most likely suffering from what Emily P. Freeman calls “decision fatigue?
First, you commit to interrupting the autopilot, to slowing down, and to ignoring the seductive cultural pressure of filling our calendars.
Second, you look for ways that might help lessen the burden of the daily grind of decisions.
Below are some options and resources that I hope will help reduce your decision fatigue.
Breaking Through the Overwhelm
If you’re like me, I sometimes find myself saying, “I just need to focus on this one thing and then I’ll deal with everything else.”
The only problem is the “everything else” is looming over my shoulder and, in the back of my mind, I’m worried that I’m forgetting something important.
Here's a simple three step process to help you get started.
Step 1: The Brain Dump. Write down on a piece of paper, in a notebook, or in some digital form, all those things you feel you need to do or decide – big life decisions and tasks that seem trivial but are still on your mind.
Writing them down has them “live” someplace other than in your head, someplace you can see them. Once you can see them you are in better position to organize and manage them.
Step 2: Breathe. I know you want to jump right in and start knocking things off this massive list that you can now see. Avoid this temptation. Make yourself take one minute (set a timer) to pause and take at least three deep breaths.
Step 3: Remember what’s important to you: your core values, your purpose in life, your vision for the future.
THEN, and only then, start organizing, prioritizing, and strategically working through that list using one of the techniques below or any approach you know works for you.
Tools for Decision Making
The Eisenhower Box (or Matrix) is an oldie but goodie that can be quite helpful, especially when you are struggling with what to focus on first. Made popular by Stephen Covey, the “matrix” is created by two rows labeled Important and Not Important and two columns labeled Urgent and Not Urgent.
The resulting four quadrants are often labeled: Do, Decide, Delegate, Delete (or as I prefer Minimize). You can read more about how to use the Eisenhower Box here.
The Eisenhower box. Graphic by jamesclear.com.
If you find the Eisenhower Box doesn’t work for you or it simply amplifies the overwhelm, Kieran at A Productive Person provides a great summary of these four techniques:
Personal Kanban Board (To Do, Doing, Done);
Eat That Frog (Brian Tracy);
Time Blocking; and the
Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule).
One simple hack to try when faced with a challenging decision is the 10-10-10 Rule.
Simply ask yourself:
If I do this thing/go in this direction, how will I feel in 10 days? In 10 months? In 10 years?
If I don’t do this thing/don’t go in this direction, how will I feel in 10 days? In 10 months? In 10 years?
Additional Resources & Practices
Here are a few other things I thought you might enjoy and support you on your decision-making journey.
Something Listen to: How to Be Productive, Right Now The Rachel Hollis Podcast
Something to Read: Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear.
Something to Watch: Eben Pagan’s free Wake Up Productive video series. It’s a commitment of time but if his approach is a fit for you, it's an extremely valuable system and set of tools for getting things done.
Spiritual Practice: Choose a time to go outside with the intention of simply being present.
Sit quietly somewhere.
Notice what you feel as you sit - is the surface warm or cool? hard or soft? rough or smooth?
For three minutes focus on the area within one foot of you. How many different things can you notice?
Then spend 3 minutes noticing everything within six feet of you.
Next, close your eyes for a few minutes and notice how many different birds, insects, people and other sounds you can hear.
And finally, notice what you can smell.
When you are ready, take a deep breath and return to your decision-making or other activities.