Ever felt tired of making decisions? Maybe it’s been a long day at work, you come home, there’s nothing to eat, and you have to figure out what to feed the kids. Perhaps something’s happened in your life where you’re having to make decisions for another person, in addition to your normal decisions. Or it could be that you’ve put off making financial decisions because there are so many options. I feel your pain – recently I’ve just wanted things to level out and life to go on auto-pilot for a while. Here’s what I’ve learned.
What is decision fatigue?
Some people label it as the inability to make yet another decision, but for me it’s been the lack of desire to get down in the weeds and choose an option. I can do it, I just don’t feel like doing it. Usually this grows out of having to make a larger-than-normal number of decisions in a small time period. Dealing with my mother’s estate – from locating her accounts to paying them monthly to deciding on the estate sale and sale of the house – added additional stress that was above and beyond my normal life.
Need a vacation from decisions
Recently when I’ve been presented with something out-of-the-ordinary, I’ve found I don’t want to deal with it. Initially I’m frustrated that once again I’m having to handle a problem that somewhere in the dark recesses I feel like I shouldn’t have to handle. When I look at it realistically, it’s a silly thought, but it’s there. Sometimes I think if I could just have a few smooth months, everything would reset and I’d be back to my old self.
How to recognize
Signs of decision fatigue can include procrastination and avoidance, indecision, and the potential for risky behavior. In fact, you may go through all of these with one decision. Say you have a big decision regarding your job. You might procrastinate at first and avoid coworkers on your team while you toss around scenarios that you could choose from. After a while, you could easily succumb to the “whatever’s easiest” mindset no matter how risky that might be to your job or promotion opportunities.
Yes, this ties into money
I like personal finance so it’s never been hard for me to make decisions about money. In fact, I often feel that if I’m not invested I’m wasting time. But for many of you, dealing with your 401k investments is just above cleaning the toilet. It could be that you feel there’s too much riding on the decision, it could be you have 40 funds to choose from, or you could just be so tired from the 258 decisions you made today that you procrastinate.
However, the longer you wait to start investing for your future, the more you have to invest to reach to the same goal.
How to move beyond the fatigue
If you’re not currently investing you may feel pressure to invest immediately. Don’t make rash decisions; instead try to motivate yourself to make quality decisions soon. Here are some ways to help you reduce the fatigue.
All decisions aren’t equal. Where to purchase gas for your car isn’t as important as how much to invest for retirement. Yes, even with gas at $5 per gallon. Did you ever watch MASH? When the medics had lots of wounded, they would triage them and take the most life-threatening cases first. When you’re facing lots of decisions, take the same tack. Let some of the smaller things go and focus on the big stuff, then come back to the smaller ones when you’ve caught up.
Let routine be your guide. Sometimes making a weekly menu and having dinner every night at 6pm can seem boring. Other times it’s a life saver because it’s one less decision you have to make. Try to stick to family and work routines when times are crazy.
Set a schedule for things that aren’t getting done. If part of your stress is coming home to a houseful of decisions, set a schedule for when things will be done. Maybe you start doing laundry on Tuesday, or you spend an hour cleaning your apartment on Wednesday. After a while, it turns into routine.
Get help. Back to the job decision. Who says you have to make it alone? Use your network, talk to your boss, and work with your mentor to at least narrow down the options so you are closer to a decision and not spinning your wheels. Go into these meetings with a list of desired outcomes so every conversation moves you closer to the final result.
Make important decisions early. Decision fatigue can build throughout the day. If you’re deciding on something important – like your retirement plan asset allocation – consider researching it early in the day, then sleep on it, and review it the next morning.
Automate. One of the best things about your retirement plan is you set it and forget it. You don’t have to withdraw money from your paycheck and invest it monthly; it’s all done for you. There’s an abundance of financial tools and websites that can make your money management easier. Maybe it’s withdrawing money for an emergency fund every month or sending an extra $50 to your credit card bill. Look at your financial life and determine where you can let go of some of the decisions.
Write it down and step away. This often helps me when I don’t want to deal. I make a list and then go for a bike ride or a walk through the neighborhood. The decision still must be made when I return, but normally I’m refreshed and more willing to take it on.
For most of us, decision fatigue will come and go. There will be times where everything’s going great and you’ll be willing to delve into the minutiae of a situation. Other times, it’ll be whatever hurts the fewest people or costs the least money. Try to focus on the important stuff, let the small decisions go, and realize you can regroup in a few months.
Photo by Tara Winstead