Top Tip: The art of decision making

Published Mar 22, 2025, 3:00 PM

It's not in your head — it DOES feel better to make choices for another person. This is according to a study on the art of decision making. When making choices for others, people seem to be in a more positive and open mood. This results in less Decision Fatigue. So how can this help us? 

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Host: Casey Donovan @caseydonovan88  
Writer: Amy Molloy @amymolloy  
Executive Producer: Anna Henvest
Editor: Adrian Walton  

This is the space. I'm your host, Casey Donovan. It's time to reflect on the week and take it easy for your Sunday with one of my favorite tips from the last seven days. So relax, get comfy, and let's do this. Do you love making decisions for other people? We know we do. It's so easy to make an important life choice for someone who isn't yourself. The person to date, the person to dump the job, to take the job, to quit, what they should wear or eat, how they should respond to that hater. It's not in your head. It does feel better to make choices for another person. This is according to a study on the art of decision making. We also tend to make better decisions for someone else. We don't spend so long worrying about the consequences. We feel more flexible in our thinking, more creative, more agile. When making choices for others, people seem to be in a more positive and open mood. This results in less decision fatigue. So how can this help us? Firstly, it gives us license to share our opinions. Mate, I know what's best for you, you better listen. More importantly, that means we can reverse engineer it how can you use your decision making skills to benefit you? Guessed it yourself. The trick is to put yourself in your friend's shoes. Imagine you're sitting on a chair and there's another chair in front of you. Now here's the twist. You are sitting in both chairs. The you in chair one gets to make a decision for the you in chair two. Imagine this scenario for a moment. Think of a decision you need to make now. Maybe it's a dilemma about your career, your relationship, your lunch order. You don't have to live with the long term consequences that the other you does. Think agile, think creative, be open and willing. What decision would you make for them right now? Psychology says people who love giving advice probably love the power. We like to feel valued, We like to feel listened to. How can you feel that way about yourself and your own decisions? Sure, giving advice to other people is fun. It's also a boss move to own your own choices. I'm Casey Donovan and this is the space. Thanks for taking the time to learn about this mindfulness stuff. It's cool to have you here. See you tomorrow. Space out

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