The Decision Trap

  

Video Transcript:

I think I have to finally open up about something. For the past month I've been having many, many problems. I'm always stressed, tired, angry, anxious and indecisive. I never quite knew why until recently I realized that I'm suffering from decision fatigue. 

And it's a real thing that you and I could suffer from. Let me explain. When you are presented with a simple question: 

"Should I wear yellow or white?" 

You need to make a decision. 

"Yellow." 

One decision is easy. Anyone can make it but when you have to make hundreds of them every day...

"Do you want to go to the city?" - "Yes!"
"Do you want me to shoot it?"
"Do you want to go shopping?" - "Later!"
"Do you want to go eat?" - "No!"
"iPhone or Android?"
"Where are we living after day 1,000?"
"What video do we make today?"

"I DON'T KNOW!!!"

...You will go crazy!

Look, the truth is in the past week I've had many, many breakdowns simply because I cannot make decisions anymore. I literally can't process them. And it's not just me, it's also you. 

At restaurants, with so many options, it can be hard to decide on one thing to eat. At home, parents have to make so many decisions every day. Do I buy salt? Do I cook lasagna or pasta? Do I take care of a baby? And it has been proven, the more decisions you make the less likely you are to make good ones. Even judges suffer from decision fatigue and they have a tendency to make worse decision later in the day. So, your lawsuit could have a different result if the judge hears it earlier in the day. Can you imagine? This is decision fatigue in action. 

"Nas, iPhone or Android?" 

But before this depresses you and me, decision fatigue is actually curable. Just make less decisions.
Clothes: I stopped making decisions on what I wear. I just wear the same thing every day. 
Food: I let the waiter order for me. - "Just order for me."
Work: I just or I delegate all my decisions to him. - "I got this my man!" 
Girlfriend: I just stopped answering her questions. - "Should I drink diet or normal?" "Where are you going?"

And whenever I can, I turn off my brain and reserve it for the most important decisions. 

"I think we should live in San Francisco." 

We all suffer from decision fatigue because we make so many of them. But if there is one decision you can make is to recognize the problem and tackle it. If we do it right that could be our best decision ever!


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