Making decisions is something we all face every day, but when life gets overwhelming, decision fatigue can hit hard. You’ve probably heard about how people like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg minimize their daily decision-making by wearing the same thing every day. It’s a strategy designed to eliminate unnecessary choices and conserve energy for the more important decisions that truly matter. So, how can we adopt this mindset to streamline our lives and avoid the exhaustion that comes with too many decisions?
1. Eliminate Choice: Simplify Where You Can
The first strategy is eliminating choice where possible. It sounds simple, but it works wonders. Take the wardrobe example—Steve Jobs had his black turtleneck, and I’ve implemented something similar. I’ve got my go-to outfits: black, white, or navy t-shirts. It’s one less thing to think about each morning. At Zeus' Closet, we also adopted uniforms for our team, which not only saved us mental energy but also brought cohesion to the team and turned our staff into walking advertisements. Win-win, right?
This strategy doesn’t just apply to clothes; it can extend to your meals too. For example, I’ve narrowed down my breakfast choices to two simple options. It may seem like a small thing, but it removes one more decision from my day, freeing up mental bandwidth for bigger, more impactful decisions.
2. Understand Reversible vs. Irreversible Decisions
This is a concept Jeff Bezos speaks about, and it’s gold. Essentially, you have two types of decisions: reversible (two-way doors) and irreversible (one-way doors). The trick is knowing which one you're dealing with. If it’s reversible, make the decision quickly and don’t overthink it—you can always adjust later. These are low-stakes decisions that don’t have long-lasting consequences. But for irreversible decisions, like major financial moves or big changes in your personal life, take more time. Consult with others and give it the weight it deserves.
The key here is recognizing the stakes. Most decisions in life are reversible, yet we treat them as if they’re life-altering. Free yourself by identifying which decisions truly require more thought and which can be handled quickly.
3. Just Make the Decision
Sometimes, the biggest problem isn’t the complexity of the decision but the indecision itself. We’ve all been there—agonizing over a choice when, in reality, we just need to pull the trigger. The longer you wait, the more decision fatigue builds up. Exercising your decision-making muscle is crucial. Like I said earlier, don’t overthink reversible decisions. Just make them, adjust if necessary, and keep moving forward. Success often hinges on momentum, not perfection.
4. Create a Guiding Ideal
Here’s where we get philosophical. Imagine the person you want to become—whether that’s the best leader, parent, or entrepreneur. Now, when faced with a decision, ask yourself: “What would the most evolved version of me do?” This guiding ideal can simplify decisions because, at that point, the decision is already made based on who you want to be. Trevor Moore, a mindset coach for high-performing athletes, shares a similar philosophy: if you know who you want to become, the decisions become much clearer. This approach helps ensure that every small choice aligns with your larger vision.
Wrapping It Up
By eliminating unnecessary choices, understanding the stakes of your decisions, making them quickly when possible, and having a guiding ideal, you can reduce decision fatigue and make better decisions overall. Don’t let the small stuff drain your energy. Focus on what really matters, and let your vision of who you want to become guide you. Let’s make those decisions count.
Check the full podcast episode where Justin King and I discuss this concept here.
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