Edition 45.

The algorithm fed me a new podcast this week and introduced me to the idea of “scab” versus “scar.”

I’ll explain.

This framework inspired this week’s theme: “versus”—the impact of making too many decisions.

Decision fatigue has entered the chat.

• This versus that.
• Skip the workout versus take the call.
• Pull an all-nighter versus go to bed.
• Lakers versus Celtics (my team won, by the way). 😏🍀

Let’s get into it!

But first, mind if I make decision-making fun and inspiring, not fatigue-y?

1️⃣ 6pm vs. 5pm.

Happy Daylight Savings (minus most of Arizona)! The appliances in your apartment or home probably say one time when it’s actually another. At the same time, the sun remains unfazed—giving us all the illusion of a longer day as it sets “later” (by our make-believe clock standards).

Will you use one of your daily decisions to update the clock time on your microwave today? 🤭

2️⃣ Lakers vs. Celtics.

Not going to rub in the win again, but Saturday night’s NBA game was a marquee matchup—even more so with the Luka trade that broke the (sports) Internet. But “nobody-saw-that-coming” player trades aside, the Lakers and Celtics franchises represent excellence in sports.

Talk about brand. 🏆

Playing for either championship-heavy legacy team takes the highest caliber of work ethic and passion. Players know this. Fans know this.

It pays to be the best of the best.

And all things considered (pristine conference standings for each team help, too), perhaps this is why last night’s Lakers vs. Celtics game was the ​7th most expensive​ NBA regular season game on record, according to TickPick, and “the most expensive ever for a Boston home game.”

Average ticket prices ranged from $674 to $731, and courtside seats went for over $23,000.

“It’s what the fans want to see,” said NBA All-Star, Champion, and Gold-Medal Olympian Jayson Tatum.

Okay, back to decision-making business:

3 more bite-sized brand insights to elevate, inform, or inspire your brand this week, with an emphasis on how to optimize your decision-making—

Running a brand or business means facing tough decisions daily.

And if you’re not careful, decision fatigue can erode your productivity, creativity, and overall performance.

Decision fatigue refers to the decline in decision quality after you make too many choices.

This happens because our mental resources are finite, and after a series of decisions, we are more likely to make impulsive, poor-quality choices.
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The complexity of your decisions and even the time of day can also contribute to decision fatigue, not just the number of decisions.

But ultimately, our brains go on ‘E.’ ⛽

So by the time you decide what’s for breakfast and what to wear, you’re already two fewer ‘versus’ away from deteriorating your decision-making—making it less efficient to make strategic decisions for your business.

It’s why Steve Jobs famously wore the same black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers nearly every day.

It was about reducing decision fatigue.

Jobs mentioned in interviews that he wanted to eliminate trivial decisions like what to wear to focus his energy and mental clarity on more important decisions related to Apple and innovation.

His daily uniform was intentionally part of his strategy to minimize cognitive load and optimize his focus on what matters for business growth.

It’s critical for you to streamline and optimize the decisions you make.

Here’s what to consider:

3️⃣ Manual vs. automation.

The more decisions you make manually—quickly running through your brain’s decision limit—the more likely you may experience burnout.

But automation is a powerful tool to reduce the cognitive load on you and your business.

Nearly 50% of small businesses now use automated marketing, sales, and customer support systems to streamline daily operations and free up time for higher-level decision-making. (Source)

Automate decisions for consistency and a clear mind.

4️⃣ Double up vs. DIY.

“If you double the number of decisions you make, you double the speed of your progress,” said Jeff Bezos in his 2018 annual letter to Amazon shareholders.

In this letter, Bezos discussed the importance of decision-making in leadership and innovation, emphasizing how quick and effective decisions can help enterprises stay agile and grow faster.

But for smaller businesses, what does this mean?

Sometimes, it means hiring. Or automation.

Other times, it means extending your time horizon and reducing your speed—since trying to keep up with an organization capable of doubling its decision-making (through an employee base) will only lead to burnout.

5️⃣ Who vs. how.

​Who Not How is a book I highly recommend for breaking down the principle and advantage of getting someone to do the thing(s) you need versus (!) you trying to DIY a new task—further wearing down your mental capacity.

It’s truly a mindset shift.

And know that you’re not alone.

34% of businesses outsource marketing decisions to focus on their core offerings. (Source)

By hiring or working 1:1 with an expert to guide or flat-out do what you need done, you can make more strategic decisions for the long-term growth of your brand.

Find your who. Forget the how.

Doh! We’re out of time for scab vs. scar, but I’ll share with you next week how this revelation will impact how we serve and show up for our customers.

Spoiler alert...: While day-to-day decision fatigue may beat us up, the idea of scab vs. scar can help us create boundaries that empower our audience and customers.

Stay tuned—and see you next Sunday!

P.S. If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please forward it to a friend!