- From email to social media to online dating, we make decisions every day without thinking about it.
- But many of the choices you arrive at this way aren't so wise, like staring at a computer all day or refusing to let your partner's slightly annoying comment go.
- Just a little thought can help you make better decisions, and have better days.
Even smart people can make terrible decisions.
Generally, it's not because they spent time deliberating and somehow arrived at the wrong answer. It's because they didn't spend any time thinking at all.
For example: You might automatically keep your phone on your desk at work, or grab a smoothie as a go-to "healthy" snack. But these aren't the wisest choices you could make.
Below, we've listed some of the easiest traps to fall into, at the office and at home.
Tackling your easiest tasks first
Do the hard stuff first.
Some people call this strategy "eating the frog," based on a quotation attributed to Mark Twain: "Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day."
Some researchers say willpower decreases as the day goes on, so it makes sense to work on tasks that require lots of focus and concentration in the morning. Others disagree that willpower is a finite resource.
If nothing else, it makes practical sense to start with the hardest tasks, since you never know what scheduling conflicts will pop up later on.
Constantly checking your email
The siren call of your inbox can be hard to resist.
Yet research suggests that switching between tasks — say, doing research and checking for new email — takes up to 40% longer than doing one at a time. Even when you think you're being more productive by multitasking, you're probably not.
One simple solution, from psychologist Ron Friedman, is to silence your phone so you don't receive email alerts or to close your email tab while you're working on something important. Designate specific times to check and respond to email in batches.
Keeping your phone on your desk at work
Turning your phone on "vibrate" isn't enough. Actually, turning your phone off isn't even enough.
Research published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research suggests that the mere presence of your cell phone nearby can hurt your cognitive performance — even if you're unaware of its influence. The best solution appears to be keeping your phone in another room entirely.
See the rest of the story at INSIDER
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