Make Rules, Not Decisions

A few years ago, a group of C-level women got together, and we talked about what our Superpowers were. Mine was (and mostly is) Decisiveness. I’ve always prided myself on, and been sought out for, my ability to quickly assess the facts, the opinions and inputs from others, and make a decision and a plan to move forward.

These days, I feel like that Superpower is fading. I’ve been experiencing decision fatigue, particularly with the decisions that only affect me, like what to have for dinner, or ‘do I want to work out today’, or ‘is this gathering Covid-safe?’. I don’t think that I have more decisions to make, but the ones I do face just feel ‘more’; to the point where even the small decisions seem overwhelming and, at times, paralyzing.

Apparently, I am not alone. The Economist recently published a piece on how increasing decision fatigue can lead to bad decision-making in the banking industry, and a quick Google search will show you tons of articles, reports, and solutions for how to deal better with it. All of this is great…but…the idea of reading all about it or thinking about how I could be making bad decisions just adds to the fatigue! Ugh.

But I persisted. I read these reports and articles and listened to the podcasts and while the recommendations are probably spot on, like Remove Distractions, and Don’t Make Decisions on an Empty Stomach, they didn’t seem helpful.

I wanted to share a couple of things that I have been doing that are working and making things just a bit easier. You can use them in your personal/home life or even at work. Even if you don’t feel this fatigue right now, the tips can still be helpful, and you can share them with others.

Make Rules, Not Decisions.

You don’t have to decide to brush your teeth, you just do it, because it is a rule. What other things can you make a rule? I have a rule to do yoga every day. Even if it is 5 minutes and just includes me doing some focused breathing in my office. Doesn’t matter – it’s a rule.

Check out one of my new-favorite podcasts (The Knowledge Project) where this concept is covered and why we can’t always trust ourselves to make the right call.

Narrow the Field.

I recently became a (mostly) vegetarian (again) and find that this narrows my choices and allows me to be more intentional without the fatigue. What parts of your life can you narrow down?

Love this story about the woman who wore the same thing to work for years!

Focus on Your Goal Hierarchy.

This is a great concept from Angela Duckworth (author of Grit) about how you can flow down your top-level/most important goals and priorities to help you make lower-level decisions and trade-offs. I keep my top 5 priority values and goals on my desk to remind me and keep me focused. How can you use your priorities as a filter?

This podcast episode from Death, Sex & Money is more about personal challenges and big decisions people are facing. They get some great advice from the panel that might inspire you.

Decision fatigue can hit us in all areas and roles in our lives. You might feel it at work or at home; while deciding which investment to make or just where to get your next take-out. It’s normal and it doesn’t have to be paralyzing. It’s OK to pause and delay the decision until a time when you feel more capable and ready to do so. And if you need help, please ask for it.