1 = 100
I often receive feedback and ideas for this blog.
When trying to decide if the topic should be used, I realized that each suggestion requires review.
It became apparent that I do not have a blanket policy on what constitutes topics I want to write about.
So, I came up with a purpose and goal for this weekly email:
“think better, live better”
By having a blanket policy, it now makes the decisions tied to email suggestions easier for me to say “yes” or “no”.
Decision making can be tiring and when we must make a lot of decisions, it can be exhausting.
Have you ever gone on a diet or program like Whole 30?
If the program calls for you to cut back on sugar by 95% or only eat “x” amount of grams of carbs etc, then each time you are faced with having a food with sugar or carbs you have to decide if its worth it or how you will allocate your allowance.
It is much easier to go to 100% then 95% because what you are doing is taking out the decision process. If your blanket policy is no sugar, then there is NO decision.
What areas in your life can you make 1 decision that removes 100 decisions?
Are you making a lot of decisions that look different but are really part of the same category?
A simple example might be that by deciding you only wear black t-shirts then you’ve resolved a daily decision.
So many of us have difficulty saying “no” to invites, requests, donations etc, however a few blanket policies can make this process so much easier.
Here is an example of one of my blanket policies: I always give money to my friends who are raising money for a cause they believe in and make the request directly to me. I do not donate to someone I do not know over phone, email, at my door etc. Makes the decision for the latter so much easier.
The next time you find yourself trying to wiggle your way out of a request, ask yourself what 1 decision could be made that ties back to your purpose or life goals.
The goal is to make higher level decisions by looking upstream. It’s a path towards lowering your anxiety and stress and a more orderly life.
That 1 decision will remove 100 future decisions.
Have a great weekend,
There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in. Bishop Desmond Tutu