02/14/2024
If you’re struggling with decision fatigue or lack of willpower in your health and fitness journey, here are three tips to overcome it…
Working with busy moms, high achieving women, business owners, and full-time students (sometimes all of the above), I see this ALL the time.
To be clear, you don’t have to fall into a certain “category” to experience declines in willpower.
Decision fatigue is real, it’s normal, and it’s common. If you aren’t sure what it is - it’s a decrease in quality AND quantity of decisions, often over a short period of time where a lot is required or asked of you.
It’s common to experience this at the end of a ‘long day.’
Ever feel like your brain is fried, your body is exhausted without doing much “physical work,” and you just want to plop yourself on the couch at the end of the day and not think about anything else?
There are many scenarios in which this can happen, but ultimately it can impact your progress long-term when you start skipping workouts and grabbing fast food as an alternative to the healthy habits you planned.
Decision fatigue can happen without us realizing - between all the choices we make throughout the day regarding kids, work, relationships, school, and all the other monotonous choices, we are paying a mental price.
How can you actually prevent decision fatigue so you aren’t opting for the couch and take-out while skipping the gym?
First, start earlier in your day.
I often see this with clients that train first thing in the morning - they know if they roll out of bed and head to the gym they’re more likely to get it done.
Figure out how to manipulate your schedule around when you experience the most willpower during the day.
For some, it’s packing clothes in the morning so they don’t have to stop at home after work and they can head straight to the gym.
Two, simplify the choices you make.
Evaluate what choices you can simplify during your week.
This could be packing clothes for the gym.
Filling your water bottle every night.
Meal planning on Sunday so you don’t have to put thought into meals during the week.
Follow a more consistent schedule.
Have your workouts done for you (we do this 😉). Even as a coach myself, it requires less of me to pay for my workouts to be done for me. I can just show up to the gym and go.
Lastly, reality check yourself.
Pick a FEW things that are your priorities for the day.
You’re going to feel a lot more accomplished when you set realistic expectations and goals for yourself.
This can look different for everyone.
I recommend listing out your tasks/goals for the day. Pick 2-3 that HAVE to happen, then 1-2 that should happen, and then a couple things that would be nice to have done, but that can be pushed back if necessary.
Ideally, our habits are built around these things and have become non-negotiables in our lives. They don’t require much thought.
Take three minutes with your coffee in the morning and nail down your floor and your ceiling for the day.
What are some simple things you’ve done to minimize decision fatigue in your life? Have you created non-negotiables that make your life easier?
