Doesn’t it seem like decisions are synonymous with words like ‘big’ and ‘scary’?
That decisions are things that take a lot of time and effort to do correctly?
Do you feel immediate pressure at the mention of the phrase ‘Make a decision’?
I used to struggle with making decisions, being a very indecisive person. To this day, I tend to narrow down my options to 2–3 choices and ask someone to make the final choice for me. I even tried to do that with picking my very first apartment…sorry Mom and Dad.
Part of me doesn’t want to be blamed for the outcome of said choices. Envision me with both my hands up saying, “Hey, you can’t blame me for how poorly this went…I didn’t make the final decision!!”
There’s also part of me that just genuinely doesn’t care what decision is made. Not because I don’t care, but because I will be fine either way. I like to be a very simple person who does not have a lot of needs.
I realized, though, that I can’t coast my way through life thinking I don’t have to make a single hard decision. So, I had to make some changes.
The reality is that we as humans make thousands of decisions a day- most of them being really small ones.
From what you wear to what you eat for lunch there are hundreds of micro-decisions you are making every day.
I began to realize that although these decisions are micro, they are far from small in impact.
That’s when I decided to shift my focus to becoming really good at making micro-level decisions.
How Micro-decisions Changed My Life
Making decisions is hard, especially ones that seem to alter the course of your reality.
What isn’t as hard- and is equally as important- is managing the micro-decisions you make on a daily basis.
Micro-decisions are those that take less than a minute to decide and that occur repeatedly throughout the day or week.
I’m not going to sit here and list all the benefits of micro-decisions or how to get better at making them. There are plenty of Medium articles about that. Go read these fabulous authors here:
Five Micro-Decisions to Declutter Your Life
10 Easily Missed Micro-Decisions to Feel Powerful in 2021
What I will tell you though, are some real-life benefits I’ve experienced from the power of successfully managing my micro-decisions.
#1 I am able to make bigger-life decisions more confidently
As I said before, I used to have a hard time making big life decisions (or even semi-big decisions) and now I consider myself to be an extremely decisive person.
By focusing on making micro-decisions I was able to do three things-
Prove to myself that I can make good, beneficial decisions
Wire my brain to quickly think of the several different outcomes of each decision I could make
Save myself hella time
All three of these things have made me more confident in my decision-making abilities.
With each micro-decision that I make, it either goes into the ‘Wow this ended up great’ category or the ‘Jeez, this could’ve gone better’ category.
Luckily for me, through practice and time, more of my micro-decisions land in the ‘Wow this is great’ category. This has been incredibly beneficial for my self-confidence in making decisions in life.
By focusing my attention more and more on micro-decisions, I have been able to program my brain to look at them a bit differently.
Intentionality is huge, and being more intentional with the micro-decisions that I make has allowed me to better predict the outcomes of different decisions and conjure up alternative choices for myself.
It honestly has made me more creative in problem-solving and has allowed me to ensure that things go my way… most of the time…
Finally, I’ve saved a TON of time by focusing my efforts on being a better micro-decision maker.
The truth is, I’d rather spend my time writing, creating, learning, reading, working out, or spending time with my family than making decisions.
When you are quick and efficient in making micro-decisions you are able to better enjoy the macro moments of life.
Decisions can debilitate us, so becoming good at making the small ones can ensure you can become better at making the big ones and have more time to enjoy life to the fullest.
#2 I am able to set myself up for success, day in and day out
Micro-decision-making has brought more success to my life than macro-decision-making has.
I wake up every day with no question of whether or not I will be able to accomplish the goals I have and maintain the habits and routines I’ve set up for myself.
The micro-decisions I make have impacted my life at the micro-level, that being each day, each hour, and each minute I have.
Because micro-decisions are those we make frequently, they have a huge impact on our day and daily routines.
By making micro-decisions frequently, they become second nature to us. No longer requiring overthinking, extended time, and worry.
Being freed from all of those things means you can live your life exactly how you envision it, on a day-to-day basis and not just on the macro-level.
#3 My Micro-Decisions Compound to Have Macro Impact
The micro-decisions I have made throughout my life have seriously proven again and again to increase my success.
I vividly remember, one day in high school, I was sitting in my bedroom well into the night staring at a textbook, exhausted from four hours of dance practice but still pushing myself to study.
I was studying for an exam, that wasn’t for another week and I began to get frustrated with myself. I was upset that I was so stressed and so tired over an exam that wasn’t for another week.
But then I realized why I was pushing myself to do this. I wanted to go to college. A good one at that, with as much scholarship as I could.
I wanted to make sure that I had good habits in place entering college. That I knew the best ways to study to ensure I was absorbing information. I wanted to build stamina and be very self-disciplined.
That night, choosing to continue to study for that exam, has set me up for great success today.
I didn’t have to overcome the learning curve in college of how to study and be good at it. I didn’t struggle with having the stamina to sit down for seven hours straight to study or write a paper and actually focus for that long.
And now, in my post-grad era, I still experience the positive effects of that one micro-decision over six years ago.
I write almost every day. I have stuck to a four-day posting schedule since I started writing on Medium nine weeks ago. I work out every day.
The micro-decisions I’ve made have compounded and turned into ritualistic habits that have a domino effect in all areas of my life.
Real Talk
I really do think this is one of the most significant mindset shifts I’ve made in my life.
However, at the time, I didn’t know that I was learning to manage my ‘micro-decisions’. I just knew that the small decisions I made every day would add up.
Turning my focus to improving my ability to make micro-decisions has been a game changer for me.
But I will warn you- it’s going to be hard to focus on making micro-decisions if decision-making is anxiety-inducing for you…so take it slow. Focus on getting better at making one specific micro-decision first- like what you wear to work every day.
Overall, I’ve noticed a common theme in life- focus on the small steps you take each day. Implement good habits and a strong daily routine.
The smallest choices compound to have the biggest impact. So don’t take small choices lightly.
Deeply consider your micro-decisions and how you manage them and let them change your life for the better.