35,000 – that’s the number of decisions the average person makes in a single day. That’s 127,750,000 decisions a year… at minimum.
That’s a hell of a lot of brain power needed, especially when the majority of decision you need to make are so damn tedious.
It’s no wonder people are getting decision fatigue left and right.
I mean, why add more to your plan than you have too? Let’s simplify a few aspects from your daily life.
Here are a few ways you can reduce the number of tedious decisions you have to make in a day:
Your Wardrobe
There’s a reason I wear nearly the same variation of clothes every day. Sure, you can say it’s part of “my brand” or whatever. But really, I found a vibe that I like and I don’t want to waste brain power on picking cool clothes out everyday.
If you know me, you know that I wear a white or black t-shirt, jeans, and earth runner sandals nearly every day.
It’s simple, it works for me, and when I get ready in the morning, it’s a pull-off-the-hangar-and-go situation rather than sit there and try and pretend like I’m fashionable.
I’m not the only one that has taken to this practice. Some of the more famous folks that did the “similar outfit daily” productivity hack are Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jack Dorsey, and Mark Zuckerberg.
I know what you’re thinking right now – yes, I am putting myself in the same category as these legends 😂
Your Mission: Pick an outfit style or 2 you like and wear variations of that daily. Simplify the start of the day.
Your Meals
This one is harder for most, I get that. To me, food has always been more about getting fuel for your body over enjoyment, so I might be an outlier here.
But at least 2 out of my daily meals are exactly the same – breakfast and lunch.
Why would I do this to myself? To stay healthy and not have to think about it. Just open the meal and go on with my day.
How often have you gone to a restaurant and just stared at the menu for far too long unsure of what to get? Who the hell wants to spend their life in meal decision purgatory?
Not I, Rabbi.
Start simple with one meal that’s the same every day, then go from there.
Your Mission: Eat the same breakfast at the same time every day for 30 days. Then, let me know if that made life a little easier for you.
Your Routines
I get it, I’m a broken record with routines. But I can’t overstate the importance of them to optimize your day and your productivity.
How you start and end your day determines the success of your day.
Wow, that’s a lot of day’s in one sentence.
Anyway, stop fucking around and get those circadian rhythms working in your favor.
Wake up at the same time, go to bed at the same time, have the same wake up process. Rinse and repeat.
Think of it like shooting free throws in basketball. If you make it a routine, it becomes a muscle memory and a habit. If it becomes a habit, it’s less likely to fail. If it’s less likely to fail, you’re more likely to optimize other parts of your life too.
Your Mission: Wake up and go to bed at the same time for 30 days. Also, the first thing you should do when you wake up is chug a big glass of water. You’ll thank me later.
Alright, there you have it. My 3 simple ways to remove decisions from your life.
If you’re interested in learning more about how I came across these principals, check out the books Essentialism and Effortless and Greg McKeown.
