Have you ever gone to a family restaurant/diner, looked at the menu, and felt completely overwhelmed with all of the choices? I know I have. When we're given too many choices, our brains go into overload mode and it can be challenging to settle on any one decision.

We make decisions all day...what time we're going to wake up, what we're in the mood to eat for breakfast, the clothes we're going to wear, the route we're going to take to work, whether or not we have to stop to get fuel for the car, which dog food is going to work best for our pet, which articles to read in the daily newspaper...I could go on and on.

How many decisions do you typically make in a given day and how many options do you give yourself?

Many folks begin the day staring into a closet of clothing choices, wondering what to wear.

What's for dinner? There are so many possibilities which makes this another pending decision so many people struggle with.

What tasks should we do today? Which do we start with?

Right now in Wisconsin, there's lots of construction happening everywhere. I've had to make tons of decisions in the past two weeks related to this...should I leave earlier or later, should I try to avoid it by going around it and taking an alternate route, should I do my appointment virtually? And so on.

Simple decisions are just part of life and don't take a whole lot of energy. Someone may ask if you prefer vanilla ice cream or chocolate, and your preference is made in a split second with very little thought.

Other decisions are energy-draining and can be stressful.

When our energy is drained and our stress levels rise, decision-making can lead to decision-fatigue. This is the point when a) our brains shut down and we don't want to make any other decisions going forward or b) the decisions we make are not the same decisions we would have made in a more energetic, positive state.

Decision-fatigue can result in impulse buying of clothing that's not really needed, unhealthy food, or an expensive item that will end up in regret later. It can also end up in making a rash decision, just because you don't want to put any energy into thinking about it. For instance, someone asks if you want to volunteer to do something and you immediately say, 'Yes' or 'No' without thinking it through. You may later regret saying Yes because you really don't have the time to do it...or you may regret saying No because you now feel bad you said you wouldn't help a cause that you truly believe in.

To help combat decision fatigue, here are a few of my favorite tips:

1) Make hard decisions first. If you have to make an important decision, make that your first decision of the day. In doing so, your mind won't be overloaded with too many other previous decisions as it may be if you wait until later in the day. Your decision-making energy is still intact.

2) Simplify. Eliminate some of your options. This is where decluttering comes into play. Look in your clothes closet. Get rid of anything you don't wear so you're looking at less options. The less options you have, the quicker and easier your decision will be. The same with your refrigerator. Don't pack it full. Give yourself a few options to choose from so the decision isn't so grueling.

3) Plan ahead. Making last-minute decisions may work out sometimes, but for the most part, they're likely to cause stress. Let's say you and your spouse decide, last minute, that you want to go to your favorite restaurant. You then call and they have no reservations left. You're out of luck and now have to take the time and energy to decide where to go. On the other hand, if you normally eat out on Saturdays, and today is Tuesday, you can decide on the restaurant and time you want to eat out, and then make a dinner reservation. When Saturday rolls around, there is no decision needed about where to eat. The decision has been made, planned out, and your table will be waiting for you when you arrive. Hopefully you've chosen a restaurant without a gazillion choices so you can decide on your entree fairly easily.

4) Write it out. A pro/con list is a great tool and visual for helping you see a decision clearly, rather than allowing all of your options to swim around in your head. I like this Make A Decision Pad as a decision-helping tool, especially if you have a lot of decisions to make in any given week.

5) Give away the decision. Sometimes, I prefer somebody else 'takes the bull by the horns' and makes the decision, especially for something minor like what pasta shape we should buy, or where we should go for coffee. It's OK to allow someone else to 'take the wheel' now and then.

For super quick details on how you can say goodbye to clutter, visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-clutter.html

All people have clutter to some degree. You may have a little. You may have a ton. MOST people are somewhere right in the middle.

For anyone who has clutter, have no doubt in your mind that CLUTTER GROWS. Small clutter challenges soon turn into large clutter issues.

Plus, clutter is sneaky...it doesn't only show up in the pile of shoes you may have in your closet, the overload of toys in the toy room, the boxes of stuff in the basement, or the stuffed-to-the-max drawers and closets in your home. Clutter can actually invade your life in FOUR forms...

1. Physical Clutter
2. Paper Clutter
3. Digital Clutter
4. Emotional Clutter

Once clutter is here, it begins to wreak all sorts of havoc...

There is only one way to get rid of clutter...and that is by using a proven- effective clutter-removing system. Only then will you be able to face clutter head-on and have the clutter-free life you deserve.

Want to say goodbye to your clutter? I have just the thing you need for a glorious, clutter-free life. For more details, visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-clutter.html

P.S. END-OF-SUMMER SPECIAL! When you claim your very own copy of GOODBYE CLUTTER... before FRIDAY, August 27...you'll also get $144 in COMPLIMENTARY BONUSES (ALL written by me!)

___ 1. Do today's task on my August Monthly Organizing Checklist. The August 24 TO DO focuses on coffee tables and end tables. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my August Monthly Organizing Checklist.

___ 2. Make a decision. Is there a decision you have been procrastinating on? Set a timer and invest the time thinking about it. Your only rule: make a firm decision before the timer sounds.

___ 3. Tackle an August challenge. Aim to achieve at least three or more of our August Mini Challenges this month...and then write to me to share your success. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my August Organizing and Life Challenges.

'The more alternatives, the more difficult the choice.' (Abbé D'Allanival)

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comments, suggestions, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
getorganizednow.com

(c) Copyright 2021 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

* Copyright, contact and reprint information:
getorganizednow.com/contact.html

* You signed up to receive our Idea-Kit and/or our Newsletter at our Get Organized Now! Web site. We never add names unless you have voluntarily opted in.

* We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.

* If you happen to purchase anything I recommend in this newsletter, or any of my communications, I may receive compensation. Still, I only recommend what I truly believe in and share with my friends and family. If you ever have an issue with anything I recommend, please let me know. I want to make sure I am always serving you at the highest level.

* To subscribe, visit:
getorganizednow.com/free-ezine.html


* To unsubscribe, if you absolutely must go, please click the link below. However . . .

YIKES! - If you unsubscribe, you'll lose all the complimentary organizing resources I share with my loyal readers each week. You'll lose the tips, reader ideas, reader clinics, complimentary videos, ebooks, resource recommendations, and the many valuable bonuses I offer each month. Please don't go. I love sending you all of this free training. I'd be lost and lonely without you. If there is something more you would like from my newsletters, then please reply to this email and let me know.
-- Maria Gracia