Micro decisions will declutter your mind.
Do you spend too much time making inconsequential decisions?
This morning, after I dropped my daughter Salem off at school, I had to choose between my two favorite Knoxville coffeeshops, K Brew and Wild Love.
As we prepare to welcome our third child into the world, my wife’s nesting instinct has shifted into overdrive. I no longer have a home office.
We have played musical chairs with beds and bedrooms. Once the music stopped, Salem’s room became the nursery, her bed joined her brother Theo’s in his room, and my desk, looking rather forlorn and awkward, got banished to the garage where it now leans against our old fridge.
So I’m running the coffeeshop circuit until my new office opens up. Coffeeshops get on my nerves. Though I make really good coffee at home and enjoy the ritual, I don’t mind delegating that task.
The problem at coffeeshops is distractions.
I take the appropriate measures. I find the least conspicuous corner. I don giant, air-traffic-controller headphones. I keep my head down, avoid eye contact, and put out my “business mode” vibe.
Yet, friends and acquaintances still mosey over and say hello. Some of them are on their day off. They go to coffeeshops to read and pass the time in pleasant conversation with whoever stops in.
Others come to coffeeshops to work — at least that’s what they tell themselves — and while “working,” they pounce on every catch-up conversation like a cat on a mouse.
In those situations, one must be polite, especially in the South.
“Oh, hi, how are you, guy I met at a boring event two years ago? Didn’t see you come in. Because I was trying to focus on a client’s project. But thanks for interrupting. Seriously, this rambunctious chat about your new asymmetrical hairstyle has really stoked the fires of inspiration for me.”
You can’t clue people in to the reality of the situation: I was in the middle of something. You failed to pick up on the tell-tale signs of attempted accomplishment — body angled away from the door, headphones on, head down, eyes on the screen, fingers spidering over the keyboard — and now I must be polite.
Sigh. This thing called “modern society” can be irksome from time to time.
Whether I land at K Brew or Wild Love, the end result is the same. Wasting time and thought on trying to hide in plain sight so that I can use my time effectively. If I intended to socialize at 10:17am on a Monday, I wouldn’t ’t be wearing a scowl.
In other words, the difference between Option A and Option B is negligible.
Distractions abound in both places. Maybe I roll the dice, and I do manage to find less-obvious table. Maybe I wear camouflage. Maybe in relative seclusion I muster a modicum of productivity then successfully sneak out the door.
But honestly, the net effect, on most days, will be nearly identical.
The decision really doesn’t matter.
Thus, why would I deliberate over an inconsequential decision? The time and thought would be sunk costs.
My friend Halvo has turned me on to the idea of micro decisions — Don’t think. Just pick.
He knows well my tendency to strategize around my strategy. I pick decisions to death. Some have true gravity. Most don’t.
What a waste!
Sometimes, you need to job — no sprint! — down a path, any path, to see where it leads, and learn quickly from the experience, rather than wait for more information that might improve the quality of your decision.
Rapid-fire decision-making — not more analysis, not sitting still — is what brings new insights. Those insights enrich your understanding of your needs, goals, and priorities.
You were able to eliminate less than desirable options faster by quickly picking them and as quickly discarding them.
Snap decisions conserve your decision-making energy for the ones of true import.
- Where should you drink coffee and attempt to work? Doesn’t matter.
- What drink should you order? The cheapest because you’re on a budget? A more expensive latte because you had no breakfast and need a few grams of protein?
- Should you pay to eat lunch out or go home?
- Should you order a salad or a hamburger?
- Should you open email or do what all the productivity experts suggest and wait until 11am?
- Should you work on one of your projects first or a client project?
The dizzying array of decisions before you at any given moment is enough to make any homo sapiens a little less sapiens.
But you may have more clarity than you realize.
Remove micro decisions from your periphery by making them as quickly as possible, and once you declutter your mind, you’ll be able to focus your attention on the day’s most significant decisions.
When you find yourself unable to decide, ask yourself this question, “Does this really matter?” If the answer is no, nudge your donkey.
The idea of working smarter, not harder, is good right up to the point where you’re so intent upon working smarter that you waste time being smart on inconsequential decisions.
Micro decisions can help you break your overanalysis habit.
Are you still not sure how to fix your lack of clarity?
I’ve got 16 questions that you can ask to zero in on the next, most important task or decision.
Click this link to plug in your name and email address, and I’ll send you the download link for the questions.
They may very well change your life.
