Making Fewer Decisions

"Tomorrow will be better" is one of my favorite lies to tell myself.

In the journey of becoming who you want to be, we all know consistency matters.

For me, one constant area of friction is staying fit.

I say it's important to me, but I'll take the first excuse not to go to the gym: "It's raining this morning," "I'll have an important work project that's more urgent."

"Tomorrow will be better."

Economists have a term for this: stated preferences vs. revealed preferences. My stated preference is that staying fit matters to me.

My revealed preference is that when fitness competes with convenience, work, comfort, or food I enjoy, it doesn't always win.

We all have areas like this where what we say is different from our actions, whether related to health, family, or work, and sometimes it's uncomfortable to admit.

The times I've been most successful are when I simplify the decision. If it's the gym: 7 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. No room for debating it every morning.

Same thing with food. Pick a simple breakfast or dinner, whatever your anchor meal is, and stick to it without debating between multiple choices.

It can get boring, but the times I've made the most progress, including losing nearly 30 pounds once, were when I stopped giving myself so many decisions to make.

Sometimes becoming who you want to be is less about willpower and more about making fewer decisions.