Simplifying Decisions to Maximize Productivity

Why is it that some people swear by starting their day at 6AM every morning, or always order their coffee black? Boring or brilliant?

During my undergraduate degree, I vividly recall having a discussion with my anatomy professor, and to my shock, discovering that she woke up around 4:30 AM each day. When I asked her “WHY on earth!?” she did this… (as I barely made it to my 8AM lectures on time), she told me, “I get up early, because I get more done in those early hours than I do during the entire rest of the day.” (By the way, she also drank her coffee black.)

So what was the secret to my anatomy professor’s productivity? (If you’re mumbling to yourself, “routine”, well, you’re half correct.) While establishing an earlier daily routine to minimize interruptions, she was also prioritizing and minimizing her decision-making to SIMPLIFY the demand on her precious time - something you can’t get back. This is the same reason that Barack Obama swore by wearing only blue or gray business suits - to pare down the number of unimportant decisions needing his attention during the course of his day. By simplifying the number of decisions we have to make in our day, we leave more decision-making power for other new, or more critical decisions that may arise, and this, ultimately, leads to improved individual productivity. 

Some may deem you a simpleton by applying these strategies, but I have seen the benefits of simplifying and minimizing decisions in my professional life, particularly on days where I have been running on limited sleep and/or time.

If you are seeking to improve your productivity, which will seemingly stretch the number of hours you have in a working day, and also allow you to devote more energy to crucial decision-making, I would encourage you to try some of these simplifying tactics:

1. Start preparing the night before. For example: put your keys in the same, right place. Lay your clothes out the night before (…and yes, right down to your underwear and socks). Have your lunch pre-made and waiting in the fridge. By completing these simple, but extremely important tasks the night before, you can automate your morning and eliminate time-consuming tasks.

2. Wake up, and exercise at the same time every day - and ideally early! (There is a reason the ‘6-AM club’ exists and was turned into a book.) When you get up at the same time each day, you’ve just simplified, or eliminated one more decision in your day - and you’ve done it early! As a result, you have that much more time in your morning to sift through emails, do your devotions, or get some serious work done, ALL BEFORE your real job; and thus, not at the end of a day during personal or family down-time.

3. Keep the small decisions simple - like your coffee order! Seriously. If you’ve ever observed or worked in a surgical team, you may have noticed the coffee order is ideally the same for everyone. It’s easier to guarantee your order is ready… and quickly, if the person making the order doesn’t have to keep changing the type of milk and level of foam, yadda yadda. And, if you are on the working clock, your decision-making power is dwindling as the day progresses, so save your mental energy for the more crucial decisions in your day.

4. Delegate the easy stuff. This is a concept I struggled with as a junior resident. In my PGY-1 year (post-graduate year one, ie. internship), I really had no delegating power, as most redundant jobs or tasks were delegated to the intern. When I progressed to my PGY-2 year (junior residency), and now had the power to delegate unnecessary tasks to the intern (which would have freed up my own schedule to participate in more enjoyable activities, such as, assisting in theater), I struggled to do so - as I didn’t always trust my interns to complete the tasks handed over to them. However, in order to lighten our own workloads, we must relinquish some of that control (while still wisely considering the skill-set and capabilities of the individual we are entrusting these tasks to), to improve the odds of a job being completed to the end.

5. Be decisive. I have learned to become more decisive in my decision-making, as it saves time. I’m not saying to blurt out the first thought that comes to your mind when in conversation, as some questions or issues of concern do require extensive thought and prayer to ensure you have come to the wisest decision possible. However, when it comes to information you know, confidently give your answer and move on. Not only does decisiveness let your mind move on to the next problem, but it instills confidence in those working around you, assisting in getting the job done promptly.

While all of these actions are aimed at simplifying your work and personal life to improve productivity, I am not advising you to abandon all spontaneity, which, as we know, is the spice of life! Rather, simplify decisions during your work week, to leave your weekends free to plan adventures, such as: exploring a new running route, trying a new cafe, or even hopping in the car for an unexpected road trip. Vroom vroom!

I would encourage you to try and apply a couple of the strategies mentioned, and I believe you will see your productivity begin to soar!

-Dr. Kristyn Bell

“Where your attention goes, your time goes”  — Idowu Koyenikan