Decision Fatigue

Simplify your life and avoid decision fatigue by setting certain moral standards for yourself in advance. This way, almost every decision is made for you, by you, ahead of time, with your best interest in mind, less susceptible to influence or impulse. And if you practice with the small things, such as what to eat for breakfast, you can then streamline bigger things.

Transcript

Every decision we make throughout the day renders our next decision more difficult to make.

It's called Decision Fatigue.

When you go to a restaurant,

It's easier to decide what to order from a menu with three options than it is from a menu with 50.

The same is true for someone with a closet full of clothes.

They might say they don't have anything to wear,

Not because it's true,

But because having too many options can be overwhelming.

I'm a big fan of making certain decisions that minimize choices in the future.

I shave my head once a week,

For example,

So I never need to look in the mirror or worry about the wind,

Hair products,

Or haircuts.

I'm saving time,

I'm saving money,

And I'm saving myself from Decision Fatigue.

I'm never torn about buying or keeping anything I don't actively use.

I remind myself that if I don't own it,

Then I don't have to dust it.

My breakfast is the same every day,

Nutritious,

Enjoyable,

And easy to prepare,

And I have five identical gray t-shirts,

Two pairs of pants,

And all my socks are the same.

These decisions were made to simplify my life and help me live the minimalistic lifestyle that I personally enjoy a lot more than I'd ever enjoyed fixing or worrying about my hair or picking out an outfit.

And since the way we handle the small decisions can influence the way we approach the bigger questions in life,

This line of thinking can be applied to our core values.

If you decide to always be honest,

The way I've decided to wear gray,

For example,

Then you'll never be conflicted about lying again.

You wouldn't ask yourself,

Should I tell them the truth?

Should I not?

Because the decision to make truth one of your core values has already been made.

Same can be done with the decision to be kind,

Generous,

Calm,

And patient.

By simplifying our lives this way,

We can reduce Decision Fatigue and avoid internal conflict.

This helps us stay on the path toward being the kind of person we wish to be.

Reviews

Uplifting and encouraging

I love this talk and will be returning when I am feeling exhausted. Thank you for the insightful words and encouragement. 😊

Thought provoking and very useful. I’m not going to shave my head 😉but your other examples are really helpful.
I do suffer from decision fatigue
and I definitely agree I have way too many choices.
Thank you for bringing this to light. ☮️

🙏

Wow, never thought about things this way. Interesting, thank you 💜

Happy thanksgiving To all

I have been moving in the direction of reducing my closet as well. I have 1 style of clothing in colors that all match. I can get dressed in the dark and look fine. No decisions there.