S2E3: The Basics - How to stop wasting time and energy on decisions

In this episode Michelle shares what's at the root of decision paralysis and offers up tips on how to save time and energy in the decision making process

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Srinivas Rao's Unmistakable Creative Tribe

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

Catching the Next Wave Podcast

Summary:

- The quality of a decision is separate and distinct from the quality of the outcome

- You have two different systems for decision making: System 1 (fast) and System 2 (slow); reserve System 2 for decisions that really warrant it

- You have a finite reservoir of energy for System 2. Decision fatigue occurs when you exhaust it.

- Even though you've been socialized to want to maximize every decision, the incremental ROI (return on investment) of time and energy isn't always worth it.

- Identify which decisions deserve to be processed with System 1, then for others, decide in advance, use rule-based heuristics, or delegate decision making

 

To learn more from Michelle about decision making, check out

• The Ask A Decision Engineer website
• Her Stanford Continuing Studies course
• Her self-paced course Decision Toolkit for Personal Decisions
• Her Decision Toolkit Coaches and Counselors virtual workshop on Maven

About Michelle Florendo

Michelle Florendo is a distinguished decision engineer and executive coach who specializes in helping individuals navigate complex decisions in both personal and professional spheres. With a Bachelor of Science in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Michelle employs a sophisticated blend of decision engineering, design thinking, and lean startup methodologies to assist her clients in charting their optimal path forward. She has guided hundreds of driven professionals in applying decision engineering principles to achieve greater clarity and reduce stress in their decision-making processes.

She currently teaches a decision-making course for Stanford Continuing Studies and has played a pivotal role in enhancing the curriculum on career decision-making in Stanford's renowned Design Your Life course. Her expertise has been recognized by various prestigious organizations, as evidenced by her involvement with Seth Godin's altMBA program, her founding membership in the Forbes Coaches Council, and her position as a faculty coach for the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. For those interested in exploring Michelle's coaching and speaking services further, additional information can be found on her professional websi