Decide on the Daily

Everyone is looking for a good “life hack,” something that makes life easier and better. Here is one that definitely does both: it’s what I call “Decide on the Daily.” It’s short for “decide how to get the things done that you deal with on a daily basis.” Here is what it means in practice.

The “Dailies”

Think of the things that you have to do or make decisions about every day. A short list probably includes having to figure out when to get up in the morning, what to eat, when to exercise, when the most productive time is to get work done, and when is the best time to go to bed. These are the things that you have to do every single day, no matter what.

The Unique

You make a thousand decisions about other things every day, things that are not “daily decisions.” They are unique in that you have to decide for the first time that day how you are going to handle something at work or in your personal life. This unique stuff is what you want your life to be about.

Save Your Energy

Put simply, you do not want to waste precious mental and physical time and energy making decisions about things that are routine and not unique.

For example, you should not be getting up in the morning and wondering what you are going to be having for breakfast. That is a daily decision that you can make and prepare for, decide once and be done with, giving you time and energy to devote to other more important things.

A Boost for Anti-Depressants

If you are battling depression, then deciding on the dailies is especially important, as your energy is at a premium…as in, you don’t have extra energy to waste. Trying to decide between oatmeal and eggs in the morning could paralyze you and you might just head back to bed.

Simplify Your Life

Think of anything you have to make a decision about during the day, every single day. See if you can make the decision now and prepare to make it happen easily this week.

Buy your oatmeal, get out your workout shoes, turn off notifications from 9-11 AM so you can get your real work done, and head for bed by 10 PM…if that’s what you have decided works the best for you.

Simplify your life and watch what happens when you have energy for other things!

Dr. Anita Sanz, PhD, Psychologist