🎨 Overthinking the Problem to Get a Solution? How to Make Decisions Fast and Save Time and Money (Because Time is Money)

At a Glance:

• Procrastination – What It Is and Why It Happens
• My Tips to Take Decisions Fast and Do It Right
• A Challenge for You!

Deciding without overthinking is often better than overthinking because you can act and learn from your mistakes. This approach generates higher chances of success. If you keep thinking without making a decision, you might never take action, giving you a 0% chance of success. Remember, not making a decision is also a decision.

Procrastination – What It Is and Why It Happens

Procrastination is putting off tasks, even when you know it's better to get them done. It happens for several reasons: fear of failure, wanting everything to be perfect, not feeling motivated, or feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes, you might not know where to start or feel like you don't have the skills or knowledge needed, so you delay.

Procrastination can also be a way to avoid anxiety and stress, giving temporary relief from the pressure of the task. However, this only leads to more guilt and stress, making the task seem even harder.

Understanding why you procrastinate is key to finding ways to stop it and get things done.

Tips I Use to Make Decisions:

Rule 1: Assessing the Importance / Prioritizing

When faced with a decision, ask yourself: What’s the worst that can happen if I make the wrong decision? Categorize the decision into one of the following:

• Crucial – Life-changing
• Nice to have
• Standard
• Mini

This should limit the maximum time you spend on each decision based on its importance.

Rule 2: Challenging the Results with Simple Questions

To avoid overthinking, challenge your decision with these questions:

• Will this matter in X hours?
• Will this matter in X days?
• Will this matter in X months?
• Will this matter in X years?

Rule 3: Standardization / Automation of Mini/Regular Decisions

For routine decisions, standardize or automate them to save time. For example, I have done this with my breakfasts and plan to apply it to other meals as well.

Rule 4: Setting Up Limits

Set limits on the time you spend, the number of options you consider, and the days you allow yourself to think about a decision. Determine when a decision needs to be made based on a cost/benefit analysis.

Rule 5: Assessing Big Life Decisions vs. My Non-Negotiables Checklist

For major decisions, compare them against your non-negotiables. For example, will living abroad for 2 years for a secondment align with your non-negotiables and values? The number of yeses and noes helps you decide if it’s worth the hassle.

A Challenge:

What do you think about optimizing your decision-making process? Maybe just a bit?

Here is My Proposal:

Step 1: Categorize Decisions

Think about the decisions you make and categorize them by importance.

Step 2: Use the "Will It Matter" Questions to Challenge Your Assessment

Ask yourself:

• Will this matter in X days?
• Will this matter in X months?
• Will this matter in X years?

I personally use 7 for X, but you can choose 5, 7, or 10.

Step 3: Plan Automations

Pick one decision that could be automated and make a plan to set up automation, then execute it. Repeat this process monthly. This way, each year you will automate 12 things in your life and save tons of time!

Step 4: Set Up Your Own Time Limits

Considering the frequency of your decisions and their level of importance, set your own time limits for repetitive life decisions.

Step 5: Create an Approach for Big Life Decisions

Use a work-life decision checklist. Create a life decisions non-negotiables template to guide you.

Closing Remarks:

Making decisions can save you a lot of time and help you progress in your life. This can be a real game-changer, so don’t wait and start now with some changes, especially if you procrastinate.

Next week, I will share with you my way of executing decisions. Stay tuned!