Making Decisions and Getting Things Done

One aspect of pursuing health and wellness is the cultivation of a positive mindset and the reduction of everyday stress. There are many ways to do so but it can also be important to identify what causes us stress and try to eliminate it before it even occurs.

For many of us, making decisions can be very stressful. I do know folks that can dither a long time over menu choices, but it is the bigger decisions that can feel somewhat ‘paralyzing’. I have heard, recently, that Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, uses the concept of ‘reversible’ and ‘irreversible’ decisions to choose the right process for decisions. His idea is that if a decision is ‘reversible’—if it doesn’t work out you can go back to how it was—you should make that decision very quickly even if you haven’t researched it as thoroughly as you could. 

On the other hand, if a decision is ‘irreversible--which he describes as going through a door knowing you will not be able to come back through that door--then you should be cautious and very thorough in making that decision. It’s not a bad way to think about things. Spending less time belaboring a decision that can be ‘reversed’ – even if there is some time, effort or money used in trying something that doesn’t work out—is definitely less stressful. Think about the last time you found yourself agonizing over a choice—awful! Make that decision, move on and have more time for healthier thoughts and less stress!

I think it can be somewhat similar when it comes to getting things done. If you are a NASA engineer or a surgeon, ‘perfect’ is required for your work. And I’m sure that is incredibly intense. But, even for those people, the rest of life is lived differently. Many of us spend too much time focusing on getting something PERFECT when PRETTY DARN GOOD would be enough. In the same way that making most decisions more quickly is less stressful and smarter, so, too, is getting most things done to the PRETTY DARN GOOD stage. Spending that last 10% extra time on worrying to get the minute details right, going back and changing small things that don’t really matter and, generally, making yourself anxious about perfection is not very healthy. Do your best, check your work and then tell yourself it is ‘good enough’. And then use that extra time to do something that brings you joy, peace of mind and wellness!