DECISIONS

DECISIONS

One evening, while driving home from work, I realized that I was extremely exhausted and began thinking about what had happened that day to make me so tired. I remembered  the majority of my time had been spent making decisions. The first wave of questions began arriving with the sound of the alarm clock buzzer. “Should I get up, or hit the snooze button and grab another 15-30 minutes of sleep?” “What  kind of coffee do I want this morning?” “Should I have  a protein drink or a poached egg for breakfast?” “What should I wear today? “Do I have time to walk my dog before I go to work?” All these questions surfaced while my head was still on the pillow. 

After I got up and started preparing for my day, just anticipating all the decisions I would have to make that day made me feel anxious and yes, exhausted. In addition to a medical decision there would be decisions related to the Gallery and the artists we represent, as well as, questions from my property manager that I didn’t answer last week. While getting in my car, I glanced at my calendar and saw a Committee Meeting as well as two scheduled Board Meetings that would require decisions, as well as a text from a friend inquiring if I wanted to meet for dinner in the evening.

Courage, 41 x 41, William Wegman

Sound familiar? That’s because the experts tell us that the average adult makes an estimated astounding 35,000 decisions a day. Of course that includes the routine unconscious decisions like breathing, as well as all the conscious decisions that range from simple and routine to complex emotional decisions.  That figure also includes 226.7 decisions a day that the average person makes that are related to food. No wonder we are all so exhausted. But thankfully not all decisions are critical or emotional and we can develop routines to reduce the number of decisions we make in a day as well as learn how to delegate.

There are some decisions we all need to make due to the emotional content and the decision’s importance and its finality. For instance when my late husband, John, died and I was making his funeral and burial arrangements, I decided to make those same decisions for my funeral and burial and pay the expenses for both at the same time. That was a good decision in that I know what will happen with my remains and I also have spared others from having to make those decisions at an emotional time.

On the other end of the decision making spectrum,  I often find restaurant and coffee shop menu choices  overwhelming. Especially coffee shops, since I’ve enjoyed the convenience of a Keurig since they were introduced and for the past  year, thanks to a Christmas gift from my staff, the convenience of a Nepresso Machine. So when a barista or waitress asks for my order, I often scan the room and see what other people are eating or drinking. When I see something that looks good I’ll say, “I’ll take what he/she is having.” Just like the older woman in my favorite romantic comedy, the 1989 movie, “When Harry Met Sally,” with Meg  Ryan and Billy Crystal. Or, I might  ask the server for a recommendation. I have also been known to ask a sales person which article of clothing they think I should buy.  And I’ve never purchased a car that the sales person at the dealership said he/she wouldn’t buy.

1989 movie "When Harry Met Sally"

I’ve been told it took both my parents to get me dressed and off to my first day of school. Hence, our family developed routines. That was a gift because some of those routines are still a part of my life. During Barack O’Bama’s presidency it is reported he famously wore only gray and blue suits to minimize the number of trivial decisions he had to make in a day.

For years, the Gallery has served as my decision making laboratory. When I start reorganizing art stored on the hanging racks, rearranging Spirit Tiles, moving furniture and plants my staff begin to roll their eyes and exchange significant looks because they know I am in the throes of making an important decision.