How to Improve Productivity Through Decision-Making

The most overlooked productivity tool? 3-minute mental fitness breaks. Most leaders think they can't afford to stop. The truth? You can't afford NOT to. Research has found that even brief mindfulness practices significantly improve decision quality. One study showed that just a 3-minute mindfulness intervention enhanced critical decision-making abilities under pressure. I see this with my executive clients daily: • The fintech CEO who takes 3 minutes before board meetings to reset her mental state. She consistently makes clearer strategic decisions that her team can actually execute. • The hospital administrator who pauses between back-to-back crises. This simple practice helps him maintain emotional balance while handling life-or-death situations. • The startup founder who schedules five 3-minute breaks throughout his day. He reports fewer reactive decisions and better strategic thinking. Mental fitness breaks aren't meditation in disguise. They're strategic reset points that: 1. Break decision fatigue cycles 2. Reduce cognitive biases (we all have them) 3. Create space between reaction and response 4. Restore perspective when you're in the weeds How to implement this tomorrow: → Set specific break triggers (after meetings, before decisions, between tasks) → Keep it simple: 3 deep breaths, a brief body scan, or simply observing your thoughts → Stay consistent even when "too busy" (ESPECIALLY when too busy) → Notice the quality of decisions before vs. after these breaks Leaders often pride themselves on cognitive endurance, pushing through mental fatigue like it's a badge of honor. But the strongest leaders I know aren't afraid to pause, reset, and then decide. Mental clarity isn't a luxury. It's the foundation of every other leadership skill you possess. Try it tomorrow. Three minutes. Five times. Watch what happens to your decision quality. And feel free to repost if someone in your life needs to hear this. 📩 Subscribe to my newsletter here → https://lnkd.in/dD6bDpS7 You'll get FREE access to my 21-Day Mindfulness & Meditation Course packed with real, actionable strategies to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Steve Jobs (and Elizabeth Holmes) wore a black turtleneck. Zuckerberg only wore grey shirts. Obama stuck to blue or grey suits while president. Why did these 3 people at the top of their game decide to wear a uniform? To make better decisions. Let’s discuss: The average person makes 35,000 decisions per day. Yet a select few decisions drive the majority of the outcomes. Zuckerberg said he wanted to “make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community (Facebook).” They all believed that brain power used on inconsequential things increased their decision fatigue and left less for the most important decisions. So, instead, they offloaded them with default choices. First, how do we know what decisions to prioritize? For me, they have to have a material cost of: 1. Time or time horizon (greater than 1 year) 2. Profits (greater than 10% change) 3. People (time, stress, etc) 4. Leverage (monetary & personally) I think of leverage in two ways. 1. Opportunities that expand your range of outcomes (new job that opens door to much larger book of business). 2. Opportunities that shrink your range of outcomes (closing in on debt limit). The "uniform" is only one strategy, and honestly a bit of a goofy one. So what other ways can we improve our decision-making? Here are 7 strategies for making better decisions: 1) Make big decisions early in your day As you get further and further into the day, the number of decisions we’ve made starts to deplete our energy. 2) Time block A day that’s not organized is a day that “disappears.” Time naturally goes to the route with the least resistance. Time blocking your most important tasks ensures they don’t get squeezed out. 3) Eisenhower Decision Matrix The Eisenhower Matrix has you label decisions by two categories: important and urgent. The 2x2 matrix creates four quadrants that allow you to see (and prioritize) the most important and urgent tasks. 4) Delegate authority Don’t just delegate tasks, but delegate “authority” too. Quit doing level 1-3 delegation when you should be doing levels 4-5 delegation: 1—Do as I say 2—Research and report 3—Research and recommend 4—Decide and inform 5—Act independently 5) Automate your decisions Follow the likes of Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg, and Obama and automate what doesn’t matter. These small decisions add up, so by removing the choice, you can allocate more time to what’s important. 6) Prioritize rest & sleep Lack of sleep leads to a similar impairment level as drinking to the legal limit. Prioritize: ▸ 6-8 hours of sleep per night ▸ a consistent bed & waketime 7) Eliminate the unessential That individual request seems innocuous. But all those little things add up. -see Eisenhower Matrix below Our goal with each solution is to reduce the number of inconsequential decisions we’re making so we can put more focus and energy into the major decisions. Reflect: am I making this decision in a depleted state or a full state?

Life rewards those who decide. Not those who wait. Here’s how to make the right call, fast 👇: 🧠 The Science of Decision-Making:  Research shows that overthinking drains our cognitive energy, reduces our confidence, and can even lead to worse decisions. On the other hand, decisive people tend to be more productive, confident, and successful.  👉🏻 If you want to speed up your decision-making process without sacrificing quality, these 6 proven strategies are the answer. 1️⃣ Set Clear Criteria:   ↳ Decide what’s most important before making the decision.  ↳ Is it speed, cost, quality, or alignment with your values?  ↳ Having a clear framework in place simplifies complex choices and eliminates options that don’t fit. 2️⃣ Use the 70% Rule:   ↳ Adopted by Jeff Bezos, the idea is to make a decision when you have 70% of the information you need.  ↳ Waiting for 90% often means missing opportunities.  ↳ Remember: No decision is perfect; most are reversible. 3️⃣ Limit Your Options:   ↳ Studies show that having too many options can lead to decision fatigue.  ↳ Narrow your choices down to 2 or 3 viable ones.  ↳ When in doubt, eliminate anything that isn’t a clear “yes.” 4️⃣ Apply the 5-Minute Rule:   ↳ If a decision is not life-altering, give yourself just 5 minutes to make it.  ↳ This forces you to trust your instincts and prevents you from getting bogged down in unnecessary details. 5️⃣ Pre-Decide with “If-Then” Plans:   ↳ Reduce decision fatigue by creating “If-Then” rules. For example, “If it’s a project under $1,000, then I’ll delegate it to my team.” ↳ This simplifies decision-making and speeds up your process. 6️⃣ Embrace Imperfection:   ↳ Fear of failure often slows us down.  ↳ Understand that mistakes are a part of growth.  ↳ Make peace with the fact that not every decision will be perfect, but every decision is an opportunity to learn. 📝 Why It Matters:   Faster decision-making means less stress, more productivity, and more time focusing on what truly matters.  It also builds confidence and decisiveness, which are key traits of effective leaders. ♻️ Your Turn:  What’s one decision-making tip that has helped you the most?  Share in the comments below, or tag someone who needs to read this. 📌 PS... “Indecision is the thief of opportunity.” - Jim Rohn 🚀 Follow Harry Karydes for more daily tips to engineer your ideal life through mindset, habits and systems.

How to master quick decision-making in business (A guide): 1. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Don’t delay decisions waiting for the perfect solution - an imperfect decision is better than none. You can always adjust later. 2. Speed up your experiments. The faster you can learn from a decision, the quicker you can iterate and improve. 3. Consult trusted voices and reflect quietly. Your intuition, honed by experience, is a critical tool for making swift decisions. Trust it. 4. Difficult decisions require open dialogue. Whether it’s a spontaneous chat or a scheduled check-in, make sure your team feels safe to discuss challenges. 5. Recurring meetings provide a safety net. Even if not always used, they ensure decisions are made promptly rather than dragged out over weeks. 6. After gathering input, take time to reflect and journal. This process sharpens your thinking and helps refine your decisions. 7. Regular check-ins with coaches or peers help you continuously optimize strategies and keep your decision-making sharp. 8. Once you’ve made a decision, act on it immediately. Clarity without execution is wasted potential. 9. Encourage a culture where difficult issues are openly discussed. This not only strengthens decision-making but also builds trust and resilience within the team. 10. Your gut feeling, informed by experience and reflection, is often your best guide in complex situations. Hone it like a skill. 11. Keep decision-making straightforward. Complex processes slow you down - simplicity is your ally in speed. 12. Regular updates and feedback from trusted advisors help refine your approach and ensure you’re making the best decisions possible. Make the last 4 months of 2024 yours. Don’t wait - start making faster, more informed decisions today.

In tech, your most valuable asset isn't your latest gadget—it's your mind. But here's the thing: most of us aren't using our full mental capacity. We're running outdated software in our heads, relying on gut instincts when we should be leveraging critical thinking. Consider this: - 75% of successful IT projects had leaders with strong critical thinking skills. Only 25% of failed projects did. (Harvard Business Review) - 85% of tech leaders say critical thinking is the #1 soft skill for success, but only 30% feel adequately trained. (Global Knowledge) - Poor decision-making costs businesses 17% of revenue each year. (McKinsey) These aren't just numbers. They're a wake-up call. So, how do we upgrade our mental operating systems? Here are five strategies: 1. Cultivate Curiosity ↳ Ask the tough questions, don't just nod along. ↳ Challenge assumptions, especially your own. ↳ Poke holes in ideas like you're testing software. ↳ "What if...?" is your new default response. Use it often. ↳ Curiosity is for leaders who want to stay ahead. 2. Embrace Diverse Perspectives ↳ Seek out views that make you uncomfortable. ↳ Build a team that doesn't just echo your thoughts. ↳ The best solutions often come from unexpected places. 3. Practice Reflection ↳ Set aside time to review your decisions. ↳ What worked? What didn't? Why? ↳ Reflection isn't a luxury—it's a necessity for growth. 4. Develop Systems Thinking ↳ Everything's connected. ↳ Start seeing those connections. ↳ Map out problems. Visualize solutions. ↳ The big picture is made up of tiny pixels. See both. 5. Combat Cognitive Biases ↳ Slow down. ↳ Our brains love shortcuts, but shortcuts can lead to errors. ↳ Actively seek evidence that contradicts your beliefs. ↳ The most dangerous phrase in business? "We've always done it this way." Here's the challenge: Pick one of these strategies. Implement it this week. Then come back and share what you learned. Remember, in an AI-driven world, critical thinking isn't just a skill—it's your competitive edge. Are you ready to think differently? To lead differently? The future of tech leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking the right questions. What's your next question?

Decision-making is the most important skill you've never been taught. While most people obsess over frameworks, The real key to improving your decisions is simpler: a decision log. Why? A decision log helps you improve by creating a feedback loop for your decisions as their outcomes unfold. It combats hindsight bias, refines your thinking, and reveals patterns in your strengths and blind spots that you can adjust. How? Start simple. For any key decision you make, jot down: 1/ The Context: What’s the situation, and what problem are you solving? 2/ Your Assumptions: What do you believe about the situation, and why? 3/ Alternatives Considered: What options did you evaluate, and why did you reject them? 4/ Expected Outcomes: What result do you expect, and why? Revisit the log periodically to update with actual outcomes and refine your process. PS: The quality of your decision is more about the process you followed than the outcome you achieved. Image Credit: QuoteFancy ♻️ Repost to help leaders make better decisions. 🔔 Follow Omar Halabieh for more.