Beat Decision Fatigue: Simple Strategies for a More Focused Life

Did you know the average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day? From what to wear to what to eat for breakfast, this constant stream of choices can leave us feeling mentally drained and struggling to make well-considered decisions. This is decision fatigue, a state of mental overload that impacts our ability to focus and be productive.

When we face a barrage of decisions, our cognitive resources deplete, leading to:

• Poorer decision-making: As we become mentally exhausted, we are more likely to make impulsive choices or avoid making decisions altogether.
• Increased stress: The overwhelming number of decisions can elevate stress levels, contributing to burnout.
• Decreased productivity: Mental fatigue hampers our ability to focus, leading to a drop in overall productivity.

The good news? Decision fatigue is manageable. Here are 5 effective strategies to help you make smarter choices without getting burnt out:

• Simplify Your Choices: Reducing the number of decisions you make can help combat decision fatigue. Automate routine tasks by creating habits and routines for things like meals, clothing, and commuting. For example, former President Barack Obama once said, “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”

This approach of minimizing daily choices allows you to save your mental energy for more important decisions.

• Prioritize Important Decisions: Not all decisions are equally important. Focus on high-stakes decisions when your mind is fresh, typically earlier in the day. Steve Jobs emphasized the importance of prioritization when he said, “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. That’s true for companies, and it’s true for products.”

Delegate less critical decisions to others when possible, which reduces your burden and empowers those around you.

• Set Clear Goals and Criteria: Having clear goals and criteria can make decision-making easier. Know what you want to achieve with each decision and set specific parameters to guide you. Simon Sinek highlights the significance of clarity in decision-making: “It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about where you end up. It’s about the clarity of your vision and your willingness to keep moving towards it.”

This clarity helps streamline decisions about what to keep and what to discard.

• Take Breaks and Recharge: Taking mental breaks is essential. Schedule short breaks throughout your day to refresh your mind. Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break, can be helpful. Arianna Huffington speaks to the value of accepting and learning from our decisions: “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes—understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

Practice mindfulness through activities like meditation, yoga, or a short walk to promote relaxation and mental clarity.

• Use Technology: Leverage technology to reduce cognitive load. Use decision-making tools like to-do lists, project management software, and decision matrices to organize and simplify choices. Gary Vaynerchuk advocates for the effective use of technology: “We have so much information at our fingertips; we can use technology to be more productive, efficient, and successful in our lives.”

Set reminders and alerts to ensure you don’t miss important deadlines, allowing you to focus on the decisions at hand.

• Reflect and Learn: Regular reflection can improve your decision-making over time. Take time to review your past decisions to see what worked and what didn’t. Warren Buffett emphasizes the importance of reflection in his decision-making process: “I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make fewer impulse decisions than most people in business.”

Seek feedback from trusted colleagues, friends, or mentors to gain new perspectives and insights.

Decision fatigue is a common challenge in today’s world, but it’s manageable with the right strategies. By simplifying choices, prioritizing important decisions, setting clear goals, taking breaks, leveraging technology, and reflecting on your decisions, you can reduce the cognitive load and make more effective choices. Remember, the goal is not to eliminate decision-making but to manage it in a way that enhances your well-being and productivity.

ACTION: Lay out your clothes and plan your meals the night before. This simple step can save you time and mental energy in the morning, helping you start your day with fewer decisions and more focus.