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One thing not covered by the author under "automate to save mental energy" is that you can save a ton of mental energy by randomizing. Where do I go to get lunc

One thing not covered by the author under "automate to save mental energy" is that you can save a ton of mental energy by randomizing. Where do I go to get lunch today? Which item on my to-do list to tackle in the next hour? Which podcast episode to listen to during today's walk? Letting these decisions (even much more consequential decisions if you are in the mood for it) be settled by chance not only conserves mental energy (by reducing the cognitive load of decision making) but can also be good for mental health (when outcomes are left to chance, you feel no self-reproach for unfavorable results, and feel only gratitude for favorable ones). I used to carry a dice around with me just for this purpose. Nowadays, just for fun, I first mentally generate a random mapping (e.g. "even number do X, odd number do Y") then look around my physical surroundings until my eyes land on a number.

myme 3y ago
Ah. Great input and an approach I really haven't considered! I think this could be great advice for people who struggle with various degrees of decision fatigue. Personally I tend to be quite impulsive and somewhat random "by design". Some might call it "creative". In any case, I tend to get energy from uncertainty where others around me prefer more structure. And vice versa, I feel more friction when there are no choices. My personal backlog serves as a counterweight in order to stay on track.
- tomjakubowski 3y ago
  I have long felt the same way as you. But I do think everyone benefits from structure - I think the difference is in whether we can accept (or tolerate) externally-imposed structure, especially when we disagree with it. If not, the best coping mechanism is to build your own from the inside. If you examine your own sense of spontaneity, you may find some scaffolding you've built up too.
  - myme 3y ago
    > I think the difference is in whether we can accept (or tolerate) externally-imposed structure, especially when we disagree with it. If not, the best coping mechanism is to build your own from the inside. Yes. You're being more precise than me here. This is spot on. The way I build and manage my own structure is to combat exactly this. For me it's a combination of habits and tools evolved over many years, and it will continue to do so.
oa335 3y ago
Nice to see a fellow randomizer, agree totally with the approach. What reactions do the people around you have when they see you making decisions based on randomness? When I would whip out my random number generator app for picking my dinner off a menu, about half the time people would get incredulous or weirdly defensive. Curious if you have come across similar attitudes.
- aragonite 3y ago
  Good question. Come to think of it, when I randomize I'm almost always alone by myself. If I'm having dinner with a companion, I either try to decide on something quickly, or opt for some alternative way of taking the matter out of my hands: e.g. ask that companion (who is always someone more knowledgeable about food than I am) or the server to recommend a dish. For me the main purpose of randomizing is to take certain kinds of matters out of my hands (rather than say to maximize breadth of coverage), and an opinionated friend serves that purpose just as well as a dice, I guess!

myme 3y ago

Ah. Great input and an approach I really haven't considered! I think this could be great advice for people who struggle with various degrees of decision fatigue. Personally I tend to be quite impulsive and somewhat random "by design". Some might call it "creative". In any case, I tend to get energy from uncertainty where others around me prefer more structure. And vice versa, I feel more friction when there are no choices. My personal backlog serves as a counterweight in order to stay on track.

tomjakubowski 3y ago
I have long felt the same way as you. But I do think everyone benefits from structure - I think the difference is in whether we can accept (or tolerate) externally-imposed structure, especially when we disagree with it. If not, the best coping mechanism is to build your own from the inside. If you examine your own sense of spontaneity, you may find some scaffolding you've built up too.
- myme 3y ago
  > I think the difference is in whether we can accept (or tolerate) externally-imposed structure, especially when we disagree with it. If not, the best coping mechanism is to build your own from the inside. Yes. You're being more precise than me here. This is spot on. The way I build and manage my own structure is to combat exactly this. For me it's a combination of habits and tools evolved over many years, and it will continue to do so.

oa335 3y ago

Nice to see a fellow randomizer, agree totally with the approach. What reactions do the people around you have when they see you making decisions based on randomness? When I would whip out my random number generator app for picking my dinner off a menu, about half the time people would get incredulous or weirdly defensive. Curious if you have come across similar attitudes.

aragonite 3y ago
Good question. Come to think of it, when I randomize I'm almost always alone by myself. If I'm having dinner with a companion, I either try to decide on something quickly, or opt for some alternative way of taking the matter out of my hands: e.g. ask that companion (who is always someone more knowledgeable about food than I am) or the server to recommend a dish. For me the main purpose of randomizing is to take certain kinds of matters out of my hands (rather than say to maximize breadth of coverage), and an opinionated friend serves that purpose just as well as a dice, I guess!