Decision Fatigue
Over the past few months, I’ve felt like life has taken over me. With my practice admin on a three-month leave, I had to manage everything on my own. On top of that, I took on a contract position that quickly felt like another full-time job, all while navigating family concerns and other personal challenges. Some mornings, I’d wake up to find my nervous system already in overdrive, the weight of anxiety settling in as I braced myself for the demands of the day ahead.
Balancing personal, professional, and family responsibilities eventually left me in the grip of decision fatigue. According to Google, decision fatigue occurs when you’ve made so many choices—or the choices you’ve faced are so difficult—that your mental resources become depleted. I reached a point where even simple decisions, like “What should I have for dinner?” would leave me paralyzed. I was living moment by moment because thinking ahead felt impossible.
Defining Success
During this chaotic period, I realized many of the tasks and responsibilities I was juggling no longer aligned with my core values. I was stretched thin, doing things that weren’t fulfilling or meaningful to me.
Recently, someone on Threads asked how I define success. For me, success is freedom.
Freedom—professionally, it means serving women who are committed to living authentic, fulfilling lives. It’s about creating space for in-person and virtual personal development workshops and passing the baton to the next generation of therapists through supervision.
Personally, freedom looks like taking spontaneous trips, engaging in activities that spark joy, and caring for a loved one without the stress of wondering if I have enough leave at work. It’s going out on a school night just because I can. It’s embracing life’s little pleasures without hesitation and living without the weight of constant worry or over-scheduling.
For me, success isn’t about achieving more or acquiring status—it’s about living a life that aligns with my values. It’s about having the freedom to say “yes” to what matters most, and feeling empowered to take up space in ways that feel good for me.
Take a few moments and think about what success means to you.
Becoming Intentional
Understanding what success means to you is like finding a beacon of light to guide your decisions. I’ve never been a fan of strict structure. I’d describe myself as whimsical—or, as my friend calls it, “organized chaos.” But I’ve come to appreciate the value of having a flexible outline for my day—penciled in, so I can adjust as needed.
Here are a few strategies that have helped me regain control of my time and prevent burnout:
Do Something Every Day That Sparks Joy: Even small moments of intentional joy can recharge your energy and shift your perspective.
Create a Task List with Categories: Break tasks into categories (e.g., work, personal, family). Tools like Google Tasks have been incredibly helpful for organizing my to-do list.
Schedule Everything—Yes, Everything: Block out time for everything, from big tasks to small ones like preparing lunch. This way, when a task pops into your mind, it won’t trigger anxiety because you’ve already set aside time for it.
Set Boundaries: Learn to say no to what doesn’t align with your values or your vision of success.
Reflect and Realign: Periodically revisit your definition of success. Are your daily actions leading you in that direction? If not, make adjustments.
Until next time…
