Making decisions can sometimes be a challenge.
For many of us, the inability to decide on something, can lead to doing nothing at all. And that is something you want to avoid. Indecision can keep us from reaching our goals thereby decreasing a quality of life we are meant to enjoy.
This is referred to as decision fatigue. By definition, it is …
"The deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making".
Essentially our quality of choices decline because we have made too many decisions. This is when our brain gets tired and can no longer make the best choice based upon the options available to us.
What happens is that it becomes harder to choose the best option based on our circumstance.
So, what can you do about decision fatigue?
Consider these tips to help you make the best decisions and avoid decision fatigue all together...
1. Plan your daily tasks the night before. This ensure that you have a clear picture of how your next day will begin. And this will help to keep you on track.
2. Make decisions early in the morning. When you have a good nights rest, you have more mental clarity when you wake up. This is because your mind has had time to rest and your day has not yet been filled with endless tasks or decision after decision.
3. Focus on one task at a time. If you focus on doing too many things at once, your brain goes in over-drive and you become overwhelmed. This can lead to not completing the task at hand or worse, not doing anything at all. Your brain only has the ability to process a certain amount of information at a time. So, when you can focus on one task or goal, you are laser-focused on its completion. And that can create a better result and improve your productivity.
4. Do the most important tasks first. This will ensure that you have completed the most essential tasks that make the most impact.
5. Batch your tasks. If you have a number of different tasks, complete the tasks in one go. For example, if you have 3 articles to write, and 3 videos to create , do all of your article writing first and then move onto creating your videos. This keeps the momentum of each task constant and without interruption. You’re basically doing the same thing, which keeps you laser focused allowing you to finish the task sooner rather than having to restart and get into the mode of “creating articles” again.
Did you know that it takes 20 minutes to re-focus again once you leave a task? It’s true.
According to a recent study at the University of California, if you refocus your efforts with just one interruption, it can take up to 23 minutes to get back on track with your original task. And get this, the average worker often switches tasks every three minutes! That equates to a lot of lost productivity and time, not to mention the amount of energy spent to do the task and misused brain energy to get back on track.
So, if you can batch your tasks (like return emails first, then return phone calls), this will save you a ton of time and improve your productivity. And if you’re a business owner, you’ll save more money and improve your ROI.
6. Be sure that you have processes in place ahead of time. This keeps things moving forward with less interruptions. It also keeps your mind free and solely focused on the task at hand.
7. Delegate tasks. A highly skilled team can put tasks in the hands of those with experience. This makes it easier to get things done. It also ensures that confidence is placed in the hands of those with the most expertise. And this is one of the best ways to ensure everyone has peace of mind.
8. Continue to create strong teams. Whatever tasks need to be completed, find people who do it well. This is one of the best ways to create the best results for any project.
9. Sleep well, eat healthy and exercise. This is should be true not only for yourself, but also for those you work with. A healthy team that's alert and well rested, can make all the difference in how tasks get done.
If you want to avoid procrastination and decision fatigue, follow the above steps. It will not only keep you happier and healthier, but if you have projects or run a business, it will ensure that everyone is on the same page. It will also ensure that tasks are completed to perfection. And that will ultimately affect your bottom line.
By creating and sticking to the boundaries in your workflow and life, you’re better able to harness your power and improve the dynamics of your work - life environment.
Placing your energy on the right tasks in the right way can make all the difference!