Making Fewer Decisions Leads to Better Decisions
Over thirty thousand - that’s the minimum number of decisions adults make each day. A staggering number of decisions for the best of decision-makers, wouldn’t you say? As entrepreneurs, I’d guess that we have days that come close to that in our businesses alone. Working with my clients has shown me that making fewer decisions leads to better decisions. It’s quality vs. quantity for sure.
Some are micro decisions we revisit daily - what time to get up, what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, etc. Larger decisions, like if you should move, fire an employee, or plan a trip around the world, require individual thought and strategy and can leave you drained. When you have fewer decisions to make, everything is easier.
One way I reduce decisions in my life is through meal planning. One day a week, I plan dinner for seven nights. It takes that decision off my plate six days a week. Then all I have to do is execute. It also saves extra trips to the grocery store and sets boundaries around last-minute requests from my family. If they want something special they show up on meal planning day. The bonus is having help choosing meals and recipes (Fish tacos for tonight, yay!).
Steve Jobs famously wore the same clothes every day. He made a one-time decision and never wasted time standing in front of his closet again. There are a lot of strategies to reduce the number of decisions we make on any given day. We can make a decision just once - like Steve!
Processes
Entrepreneurs can make fewer decisions by having clear processes or Standard Operating Procedures, such as onboarding a new client. These processes can have just a few tasks or many tasks. Depending on your business, some tasks may require information from the client - establishing access to computer systems, sharing resources, filling out questionnaires, and more. Think of how many clients you’ve had in the last year. Imagine if every time you started their onboarding from scratch you’d be making the same series of decisions every time to get them up and operational. By making the decision about your processes once, you can automate, delegate, rinse, and repeat.
Pricing
Another great example is establishing your rates. Not only can you reduce the number of decisions you make, you can reduce the amount of difficult decisions. One of my clients had no pricing structure and would decide how and what they would charge each client differently. I got them to set a policy that simplified their entire sales and onboarding process and took any negotiating and decision-making out of the picture, each time they got hired by a new client. That constant negotiating and decision-making can be awkward. Deciding on set rates takes the emotional discomfort out of the process.
Policies
Policies regarding Human Resources is another area where making decisions upfront and just once makes your life easier, sets clear expectations among team members, and can cut back on the number of disputes. A different client of mine structured policies around difficult topics, which allowed her to avoid the pressure of those in-the-moment decisions.
Make a decision once
Business owners sometimes experience self-doubt, revisit decisions, and overthink situations. Reminding yourself to make the decision just once can help you move through any uncertain feelings when you’re stuck.
Early in my business, I kept rethinking some big strategic decisions I had made. It filled me with hesitation and challenged my confidence as a business owner. I decided to stick a note in my planner addressed to myself that said, “Dear Kathleen, you already made this decision. Stop thinking about it and take some action.”
Over time, I learned to take leaps more quickly and didn’t need to remind myself anymore. But if you hang around my office, at some point you will definitely hear me talking to myself and saying, “Knock it off Kathleen - you’ve already made that decision. Let’s move on.”
I recently had a client in a similar situation and we kept rehashing the same decision on call after call. To help them move forward, we looked back and reviewed all the options, which reinforced why they made the original decision initially. We then agreed to move forward, make some real progress, and set a much later date to analyze any decisions they made.
The close cousin to making decisions once is making decisions ahead of time. This also reduces the number of daily decisions you make. Making decisions in advance instead of “in the moment” lets you be more thoughtful and more strategic. Let’s use social media as an example. When clients come to me without a plan or strategy for their social media, they get stressed when it’s the last minute and they have nothing to post. Then if you post at all, it lacks intention and purpose. Be intentional about your decision-making.
I help my clients go from being overwhelmed to being in control by establishing a strategy around all their decisions. If you are stuck in limbo, battling with indecision in your business, I can help. You can schedule a time to talk here.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free resource Show Your Schedule Who's Boss - these tips and strategies will help you take control of your time. This is the first step in taking control of your business - kathleen-lawson.com/show-your-schedule-whos-boss
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - kathleen-lawson.com/ceo-power-planning
Schedule a Laser Consult Session. This is a one-time 90-minute session for the entrepreneur who needs expert strategic guidance. Use this time to work through an idea, develop an executable 12 week action plan, streamline or create a process or system, or improve routines around daily and weekly execution. kathleen-lawson.com/laser-consult