Did you know that decision fatigue kills your motivation? Wait! We are getting ahead of ourselves. First, let’s understand decision fatigue.
How many times do you Google something online and then switch your search to something else quickly? Hopping from one app to another — from Facebook to Twitter and then to Instagram — is a common thing. You don’t think much about it. However, this habit could explain why you always feel tired and exhausted!
According to a survey by Rescue Time, the average user changes tasks more than 300 times every day during work hours. No kidding! This constant switching of back and forth picks apart your focus and eats into your willpower. Your strategic thinking skills take a hit and you start making poor decisions.
Now that we have laid down the groundwork, let’s look at decision fatigue in detail:
What Is Decision Fatigue?
Definition of decision fatigue: “Deterioration in one’s ability to make sound and good decisions after an extended period of decision making.”
Simply put: when the number of decisions you have to make will increase, so will your ability to weigh in on the options to make a research-backed and educated choice.
Two other states that lead to decision fatigue are:
Depleted willpower
Working for a long time
Decision Fatigue Signs
Procrastination: “I will do it later. There’s plenty of time.”
Avoidance: “I don’t think I can deal with anything heavy right now.”
Impetuosity: “Should I, should I not, should I…”
Indecision: “Whenever I feel confused, I simply say ‘no.’”
Do you sometimes feel your energy being drained, so much so that you can’t make a smart choice? Do you keep extending your work to tomorrow just because you are “not in the mood?” Do you find difficulty in making basic decisions when you have wasted all your thought process on a task?
All these are signs that you have decision fatigue!
However, this diagnosis is not that simple. Yes, you need energy and an active brain to make good decisions. However, if you believe you have the willpower to do it, you can! Channel your confidence-building skills to make decisions so that you can move forward. In a way, this is also about conquering fear to tell yourself that the decision you will make, will bring positive results.
How to Overcome Decision Fatigue
Following are some tips that will help you make your decisions easily and effectively:
Set Priorities: Do what is important first.
Focus on Momentum: Yes, your willpower will give you energy but it’s your momentum that will keep you going.
Simplify Your Choices: Don’t take too much time to make a single decision. Act fast and do what feels right to you.
Take a Nap: Yes, seriously! A power nap will clear all the gunk from your mind and open you up to take more information.
Curing decision fatigue is all about stress management. If you can maintain your stressors, you won’t find yourself exhausted after making two or three decisions. So, hold on to your motivation and don’t let go of your willpower because two factors can help you knock one decision after the other out of the park!