Beat Decision Fatigue and Reach Your Goals For Good

So you get home from work – you’re stressed out and you’ve had a long day. All you want to do is RELAX, but life beckons. Or let’s reverse it: you’ve had a truly spectacular day of sightseeing, hanging with people you love and living your best life.

Either way, decision fatigue, that sloooowwwww but mighty drain on your willpower sets in.

That could mean you skip your well-intentioned plans for a workout, bail on those tasks and chores that keep lurking in the back of your mind or head to the fridge and eat all-the-things, further perpetuating that emotional eating shame/guilt cycle.

It’s been proven that the more decisions you make over the course of the day, the harder it is to enact willpower and self-control.

And get this: even something as simple as the ability to do BASIC MATH diminishes once that fatigue kicks in! So first up: stop being so hard on yourself. You’re human and we’re living in a world where we’re expected to do more than is humanly possible in a day … without losing our minds.

Now that you know decision fatigue is a real thing, how to beat it? Solutions coming right up …

Tip #1: PLAN your meals and prepare them ahead of time!

Womp womp womp. I know. It feels like a lot on top of everything else you’ve got going on. But you know what else takes up a ton of time? Constantly running around last minute to make things happen because you weren’t prepared. Think of it as a bank account. Prepping and planning starts your week with a positive balance. WINGING it and not having a plan starts you in the negative, and it can only go downhill from there. That 1-2 hour saves you countless hours during the week – seriously!

Tip #2: Never go to bed without “closing” the day.

This means you know what’s going on the next day and you’ve completed or at least put things where they need to go for the day. If you leave things unfinished, like a project or task, it will be harder for you to truly unplug and you’ll have that nagging feeling of trying to remember something but you can’t pinpoint what. I’m sure you can see how this would further contribute to decision fatigue. As my business coach says, it’s all about that BRAIN SPACE!

Tip #3: Make your time intentional.

Time blocking has changed the game for me. Having more control over how you spend your day does wonder for mental health, confidence, and willpower. You don’t have to think about what’s coming next – it’s all right there, planned out for you and ready to go! Think to-do list, workouts, grocery shopping and spending time with friends and family. When you become intentional with your time, you avert decision fatigue.

So when that decision fatigue kicks in, now you have strategies for cutting it off at the pass. But more importantly, always remember to treat yourself with the same kindness you so freely give to others.

Now it’s time to engage in good ol’ fashioned TLC (Tender Loving Care). Some of my favorites include burning off stress with a sweaty workout (you’ll feel sooo much better – you just have to start!), eating a delicious spicy meal (hot foods boost endorphins – a feel-good hormone that gets your spirits up).

Or if that’s too much – maybe brew a cup of herbal tea (no caffeine close to bedtime) and find a relaxed and quiet spot to chill with a book.

Want to take it up a notch? Time to call in your support network! A strong team of people around you is HUGE for your long term success. You can’t do it alone and you shouldn’t have to.

Here’s the deal – creating a solid blueprint for success and helping people shatter their goals – and then some – is our speciality. If you needed to hear this today, I’m so glad we could be that light for you. Maybe you’re not ready yet, and that’s cool! We’re all one our own timeline. But if you’re ready to stop going it alone and you crave support, Season 17 of our Get Fit Challenge is officially open for enrollment. Spots will go quickly, so get in while you can! Though it’s technically a weight loss challenge, there’s no “bikini body” marketing BS here. We take a DEEP dive into self-love, empathy and breaking those longtime patterns so you can THRIVE.

Go here to learn more and to join us!

Cheers to your health and happiness,
Christina