Visuals Combat Decision Fatigue

Deborah DeLue • May 04, 2022

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 3 No. 9 May 6, 2022

I read something recently about decision fatigue. According to Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, authors of the New York Times bestseller Willpower, decision fatigue can lower your willpower and cause you to do things you hadn't planned or might not be in your best interest. We all have tons of decisions to make daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. So finding simple solutions to make decision-making easier is a great idea.

Do you have an important decision coming up? A vacation to plan? A big purchase to make? Or a meaningful change to complete in your life or business? Applying a little visual thinking can be just the thing to help you clarify your thinking and make the best decision.

Want to give it a spin?

You'll need something to write on, something to write with, and a simple 2 x 2 diagram

Step 1: Give it a name - across the top of your paper, write down the decision you're trying to make. For example, where to go on vacation this year.
Step 2: Create a 2 x 2 diagram - first, draw a line to divide your paper in half vertically, then draw a line to divide your paper in half horizontally. You'll end up with four sections.
Step 3: Label the sections - Starting in the upper left, label the first section MISSION CRITICAL. Next, in the upper right-hand area, add a label of NICE TO HAVE, label to the lower left-hand section WANT TO AVOID, and finally, label the last section DEAL BREAKER.
Step 4: Now, the fun part - starting with the MISSION CRITICAL section, do a brain dump of all the essential items, features, or functions your final decision must include. For example, if you are longing for a beach vacation, which for you means walking out your door and onto the sand, or you have a strict budget of $1000 for a hotel room, note it down as MISSION CRITICAL. Keep going until you run out of things you consider essential for the success of your plan, project, or change.
Next, move on to the DEAL BREAKER section and repeat the process considering all the things you can not accept. For example, if you cannot stand crowds and humidity, a wildly popular location in the tropics at the height of a tourist session could be a DEAL BREAKER. Finally, plot the in-between - things that fall into either a NICE TO HAVE or a WANT TO AVOID. For example, a spa or sports activities might be NICE TO HAVE while a very long drive or several plane changes might be a WANT TO AVOID.
Step 5: Color code it - with a different color circle the top 1 to 3 things in each section. Adding color will further clarify your thinking and highlight the most crucial items, features or functions.

The final result is a clear, concise picture of your needs and wants for a successful outcome. Armed with this information, you can begin your research and go on to make a decision you can feel very confident about much faster and easier.

For more practice using visuals, check out all the Applied Visual Thinking Courses or get in touch to let us know what YOU need to make happen using visuals.