We make many decisions every day, from waking up to going to the time of going to bed. From decisions like what to wear, what to eat, which route to commute, whether to have lunch or not, whether to spend time with colleagues during lunch for some office gossip or to take that walk around the block and exercise. To making significant decisions like dating or marrying someone, changing jobs, staying where we are, or starting a business. We also make decisions regarding candidate or supplier selection for a job, or which direction to take in an important negotiation.
Our brains are consistently making decisions, however, not all decisions carry the same weight. However, this doesn't relieve the burden of decision-making on our brain's network. Each decision requires energy and effort. So, how can we make key decisions without regret, especially from the fatigue of making decisions?
Recently, at the end of a long day, I was feeling both physically and mentally tired, my husband asked me to make a tiny-minute decision for him, and I sparked (my apologies dear, I know you’ll read this 
). It was such a small decision that under normal circumstances, I would make it without much thought. At first, it did not occur to me that I sparked because of the fatigue of decision-making (of course coupled with the fact that it had been such a long day). In retrospect, I later realized that I was not angry at his request, I was angry because I was being asked to make yet another decision. My mental capacity for decision-making had been over-drawn by that time of day.
A senior executive says he reduces the number of decisions he has to make every day by adopting a standard dress code of trousers and branded shirts that he uses every day of the week. This way, his first decision of the day is eliminated from his mind (more or less automated ). Similarly, I work with pre-set menus in my house, so the decision of what are we going to eat today is really not there, everyone knows what to expect.
In decision-making, it is said that we engage several circuits in our brain that tap from both short-term and long-term memory to come up with a decision. Our brains are consistently engaging various circuits in our brain picking information from different parts of the brain. With this consistent engagement, we tend to feel mentally tired (okay, this among other things ).
Research says that reducing the number of decisions one has to make in a day can help you focus your brain better in making the more important decisions. It's worth considering automating the smaller low-impact decisions like what to wear, what to eat, what time to exercise, what or how to dress, where to spend, among others. What decision can you automate right now?
Many newlyweds struggle with the numerous small decisions they need to be make as they combine routines in their new home and get something that works for them. Decisions like what to cook, who cooks, how much money to spend, and on what, whom to host and for how long. These can be a bummer, especially when not pre-planned. This can however, to some extent, be sorted through ‘automation’. Make a plan, use a formula, and prepare a schedule and menu so the decision really does not need to be made on the go or at the end of a long day.
Depending on the significant of a decision, different studies advise weighing the pros and cons. You first need to know yourself, know what you want, and the desired outcome. Evaluating available options is essential, although at times, too many options, can make the decision more difficulty. It is easier when the options are fewer, this makes it easier to weigh the options. A recent podcast from HBR - Women at Work indicates that we rarely have enough information to make the perfect decision. We decide using our guts, our limited knowledge, and our thought processes. We need to ask more questions to get to the most suitable decision.
You need to highlight the trade-offs - what’s the most and least important to you? One good way of narrowing your options is by outsourcing this. Have someone narrow down the decision to a manageable number. Too many options can also lead to contemplating for too long, thereby delaying the decision.
The 10-10-10 Rule of Decision-Making
Peter Hollins in his book “Finish what you start” talks about the 10-10-10 rule of decision making. This rule encourages people to ask themselves three questions when faced with everyday decisions. Our immediate decision is usually based on our feelings at the time of making the decision. Much as your feelings towards something play a big part in knowing which decision is the right one, sometimes those emotions can be misleading. Feelings are fleeting and how you feel about something now, can be totally different 10 days, or 10 years from now. The 10-10-10 rule says you need to ask yourself the following three questions before you make a decision;
- How will I feel about this decision 10 minutes from now?
- How will I feel about it 10 days from now? Or 10 months from now?
- How will I feel about it 10 years from now?
Many successful people bunk on this rule for decision-making; from Suzy Welch to Warren Buffet.
As the saying goes "time will tell", time really tells. A person trying to get on a diet might face a quick dilemma of having that piece of cake or chocolate in the spur of the moment. If they think about that decision 10 minutes from now, it might still seem like a good idea from the immediate high and satisfaction of consuming the cake, but 10hrs from now, the guilt with set in, and in 10 months, they might regret going that road in the first place.
For anger management, we're told to take a deep breath and count backward from 10 (I wonder what’s the magic with the number 10). Somehow, when one ‘thinks twice' about their immediate reaction, they’ll tend to make better choices. Perhaps next time hubby asks me to make a decision for him when I’m tired, I’ll need to apply this rule to myself and ask myself if I’ll be happy with myself 10hrs from then.
I hope you’ll be able to make decisions in a way that will make you feel proud of yourself 10 years from now.
