Make the decision once

A simple way to reduce temptation and procrastination.

Every decision you make requires a small amount of mental energy.

By the end of the day, after hundreds of decisions, that mental energy begins to run low. Psychologists call this Decision Fatigue. It's one of the reasons you're more likely to procrastinate, skip your workout, or reach for junk food late in the day than you are first thing in the morning.

One way to solve this problem is with a strategy called Pre-Commitment.

Pre-Commitment simply means making decisions in advance, before you're tired, rushed, hungry, or distracted. Instead of relying on willpower in the moment, you rely on a decision you already made.

Suppose you wait until tomorrow morning to decide whether you're going to exercise. You'll probably think of several reasons to skip it.

Instead, decide tonight. Write down exactly what you'll do and what time you'll do it. Tomorrow morning there isn't a decision to make. There is only a commitment to keep.

The same approach works for many parts of your life.

Plan tomorrow's meals before you're hungry.

Decide your work priorities before you begin the day.

Create personal Life Rules for areas where you repeatedly face the same temptations. If you've already decided that you don't drink alcohol on weeknights or that you don't check social media during work hours, you won’t be tempted in the moment.

The interesting thing about Pre-Commitment is that it doesn't require more willpower. It requires fewer decisions. And fewer decisions leave you with more mental energy for the situations where judgment and creativity really matter.

Today, choose one recurring decision that you could eliminate by making it in advance. It might be tomorrow's workout, tomorrow's meals, or tomorrow's work priorities. Make the decision today, write it down, and see whether following through becomes easier.

In a few days, I'll share another idea from our upcoming course, Winning Every Day: Routines and Habits for Success.

- Paul