For linguistic geeks like me, it is interesting to ponder the origin of the word “decide.” Decide comes from latin. The root -“cide” is to kill, “de” is choice. So to decide is to kill choice. Isn’t that curious?
Homicide is to kill another human, insecticide is to kill insects, etc. SO, it is a pretty serious concept to kill choice. Yet we make decisions all the time. When do we kill choice and why? It is obvious and easy when the outcomes are clear. We decide what we will have for breakfast because we either have the food available or not. We decide to go to Starbucks rather than make coffee at home, well I’m not sure why, but millions of people do. And, we start making habits around things we decided once, not to have to go through the decision process again.
So there is a cost to going through the decision process.We have to lay out the assumptions we make, then weigh the likelihood of the outcomes and pick our preferred outcome. If I make coffee at home it will take 10 minutes. The taste will be okay and it costs me 15 cents. If I go to Starbucks near the office, I will get on the road that much earlier. Hmm, I forgot to list that in my assumptions about making it at home. It will cost $4.50 with the tip and it will have all that good stuff in it I don’t keep at home. I’ll have a pleasant chat with the barista, and I can order it on my app so it is ready when I get there.
What is my point? Actually, I have several.
1.The more we turn the easy decisions into habits, the more we have the mind-space for harder ones.
2.When the assumptions can be clearly stated, we can make the decisions faster. When we forget an assumption, we have to circle back.
3. If the world changes, we have to change our assessments. If there is an accident on the freeway, we have to go a different way, and may have to skip Starbucks. or, the cost of coffee may go so high, we may have to consider another alternative.
When everything is uncertain the way it has been since the pandemic, EVERY decision must be reexamined, from going to the office, to hiring, to whether we will get the products we ordered to how much they will cost, etc.
If you are exhausted, perhaps this is why. This week, give yourself some grace around making difficult decisions. And, get a little more rest. These are unpredictable and difficult times.
Image courtesy of CHRISONEA.com