In any profession we will need willpower, and we will have to make hundreds of decisions. Psychologist Roy Baumeister said that willpower works like a muscle: it can be strengthened through use, but it can also be worn out by overuse.
And perhaps the most worrying part is that our lack of self-control, as well as our mood, can affect our decision-making. So let’s identify what affects us and some ways to avoid damaging these two assets we need to succeed.
1. Limit your decisions
Barack Obama acknowledged that, to limit his decisions, his wardrobe was full of suits in just two colours. That way, he doesn’t have to think too hard about which suit to wear. Obviously, this “trick” is backed by research on social behaviour.
Having certain routines also keeps us from wearing out our brains on small decisions, so that we can focus on the big ones. Having a weekly menu means we don’t have to think about whether we feel like meat or fish today.
A study published in the New York Times explained why going shopping can be more exhausting than any business activity. In fact, it showed that people who had just spent a few hours shopping gave up much sooner on a maths test.
Hence the importance, as leaders or as professionals, of delegating the most trivial tasks so that we can focus on what really matters.
2. Make the most important decisions first
It’s human nature to start with the easy things and end with the hard ones. I even think some “experts” recommend doing it that way, as a kind of warm-up before the game. But we are not about to play tennis.
Start the hardest and most important tasks first thing in the morning, when our energy reserves are still full. Once the most important and difficult work is done, the rest will feel more manageable. If we start with small things one after another, our minds will begin to tire, and if we have left the big stuff for last, we will balk at it because of its difficulty and our mental fatigue.
In fact, many keen procrastinators are not lazier than anyone else; they tend to fail at this small habit of doing the hard thing first. I believe it was Freud who recommended starting with the most complicated task to avoid the gradual drain of the small ones.
See also: 15 habits for achieving success
3. Glucose and sleep interfere with willpower and decision-making
Psychologist Kelly McGonigal said that sleep deprivation directly affects the part of the brain associated with decision-making.
Physical exhaustion mirrors mental exhaustion, so exhaustion encourages bad decisions and cancels out our willpower.
On the other hand, even the wisest people are unable to make good decisions when their glucose levels are low. That is why many businesspeople don’t close deals on an empty stomach. According to some research, grocery retailers discovered this long ago: they noticed that when shoppers were worn out by making decisions along dozens of aisles and products, and mealtime was approaching, they tended to buy anything sweet, as if summoned by the “sugar” drug.
So get some rest and make sure your glucose level is where it should be.
4. Avoid making important decisions when you are not in the right emotional state
Picture this scene: a head of state is sitting in his office. His teenage daughter walks in and tells him she is pregnant by the son of the main opposition party leader. Twenty minutes later his wife comes in and says: “Remember that trip I took to Spain? I had a fling with a Spaniard.” At that moment one of his advisers walks in to ask whether he wants to intervene in Russia. Clearly, given his state of mind, he would probably intervene in Russia, China and even India.
When everything is going wrong and every decision has turned out to be the wrong one, it’s sometimes better to stop and not make any important decisions until you are in a neutral emotional state.
5. Base your decisions on other people’s ideas
As a business owner, you need a competent team, and therefore you should make decisions with the advice of the experts in their fields who work for you. This is not a way of shedding responsibility. It is exactly the opposite: being responsible by handing the decision to someone who is probably more competent than you in that area. That’s why you hired them.
Psychologist Roy F. Baumeister made a point that could be summed up as follows:
The best decision-makers know when not to trust themselves to make decisions.
Humility, wisdom, genius? The point is that we need to know our limitations and know when to delegate certain decisions to other people, as well as recognise when we might be falling prey to one of the many biases that affect our willpower and decision-making.
If you can exercise control over your willpower and limit your decisions so that you focus on what really matters, you are more likely to succeed in your business or career.
Further reading
- 6 “unfair” advantages other people may have over us and that we cannot avoid
- 7 impressive lessons for success
Featured image: Pete Souza, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
