Dramatically increase the quality of future decisions by changing when you make them.
There is a lot of literature out there on decision fatigue and the benefits and methods of reducing cognitive load.
Running out of the juice to make good decisions can have disastrous effects on the best laid plans. We’ve all been there. It’s been a long day, and your brain is fried. While deep down you may have preferred to hit the gym, cook a healthy meal and then read a book or finish that DIY project in the garage… you end up ordering a pizza and watching bad television.
People tend to blame this on their willpower. Like they just didn’t have the grit to workout, make a nice meal, or do something worthwhile with their time.
I’d argue that in many cases, it’s not that they lacked the gumption to cook or get crafty. They had just hit the wall, and were unable to make any more carefully considered decisions that day.
While the lists of remedies are vast and varied — from wearing the same thing every day, to making important decisions in the morning, to delegating decisions to others when possible — I’d like to suggest that there is one decision you can make that will eliminate the fragility of so many others.
What I’m referring to is deciding to live by a schedule.
Think about it. If our heroine from the example above simply has this vague idea that she’d like to workout three times per week — she’s leaving it to chance. She’s planning to go on the days when she feels like it, or when it makes sense. She is counting on herself to decide in the moment whether it's a gym day or not. Weeks may come and go without her ever feeling like it. Moreover, after a full day of using brain power on other decisions, the choice of whether or not to go to the gym will likely be met with a lackluster response.
But if she had decided to live by a schedule… if she already knew that she intended to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, come what may… that’s a different story. There is no decision to be made at 5pm when her brain is mush — because the decision was already made, when she was in her right mind. All she has to do now is consult the schedule, and do what it says.
When she gets home, she can either be faced with having to make a decision about what to have for dinner… or she can simply consult her planner — where she did a little meal planning on Sunday — and see what she is supposed to make that day. All the ingredients are already in her pantry because she planned ahead. She doesn’t have to decide, she just has to do.
After dinner, she might be forced to make a decision about what to do with the next few hours. Or, she could simply consult her planner and see that Wednesdays are “project night,” and head to the workshop to finish her latest masterpiece.
Which version of her feels better about her choices at the end of the day?
Set yourself up for success by eliminating the need to make those choices in the moment. All these little decisions make up our lives. Which version of yourself do you want making the decisions that ultimately make up your life? The version of you that is worn out and struggling to function? Or your vibrant, well-rested, joyous self? I vote for the latter.
Suggestions to make decisions the night before don't take into account how that is still putting this burden on a tired version of yourself. Take some time every Sunday to plan your week. This shouldn’t be a drag. It should be fun! Get some good rest, have some brunch, get some sunshine, light a candle… whatever puts you in a good head space. And then go ahead and make in advance the decisions you know your best self would make in the moment.
With a little practice, and an ideal week (or plan from which to deviate), it gets easier and easier. Pre-planning your week doesn't have to take more than 20 minutes, and it can have a huge impact on how your week goes.
You know which activities are important to you. Schedule them into your week. You know how you want to eat every day. Plan your meals. You can even plan your entertainment! You know which shows you like or which documentary you’ve been wanting to see. Schedule them into your ‘screen nights’ so you don’t waste time looking for something, or end up watching something that’s a complete waste of time!
People fear that deciding in advance how they will spend their free time removes their freedom... their freedom of choice. I disagree. Some of the spontaneity may be gone, but allowing your highest self to make those decisions and living by them is the ultimate freedom of choice!
Make as many decisions for yourself as you can when you are well rested, well fed, unhurried, and in a good frame of mind. Then as the week goes by you can just stick to the plan... trusting that your best self made these decisions with your best interests at heart.
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