We have to decide on average 35.000 times per day.
➡️ It is no surprise that we end up mentally exhausted from repeated decisions over time, reducing decision quality
- Prioritize
🔹 Hick's Law → the time it takes to make a decision increases with the number of choices available. Knowing your musts and no-gos options leads to quicker and more confident decisions.
🔸 Principle → Narrow down your options according to your set priorities
2. Minimize
🔹 Cognitive Load Theory → our working memory has limited capacity; minimize trivial decisions to conserve your resources for more relevant tasks.
🔸 Principle → Reduce the number of decisions you make daily by creating routines and habits.
3. Schedule
🔹 Diurnal Variation in Cognition → cognitive function varies throughout the day, with peak performance often occurring in the morning.
🔸 Principle → Schedule important decisions at times when your mental energy is highest and avoid critical decisions later in the day
4. Rest
🔹 Ego Depletion Theory → self-control and decision-making draw from a limited pool of mental resources. They get replenished with rest and nutrition.
🔸 Principle → Take scheduled breaks and ensure adequate rest and nutrition. You can’t get more than 3h high focus hours.
5. Automate
🔹 Nudge Theory → small changes in the way choices are presented can significantly influence behavior. Create and design your recurring default choices.
🔸 Principle → Set default choices to automate decisions.
6. Delegate
🔹 Resource Allocation Theory → allocating cognitive resources can effectively enhance overall performance and reduce overload.
🔸 Principle → Delegate less critical decisions to conserve mental energy for more significant decisions.
Create your own structure model:
There are several decision-helping models - SWOT, Eisenhower Matrix, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Occam Razor, Social Proof, etc.