Bulk decision-making
For many people, a major pull toward minimalism is the simplicity it provides. Not only the aesthetic simplicity but also the simplicity of choice, of habit. Minimizing and restricting choices and options can actually liberate someone in a way that freedom of excess choice can not. I argue that a similar outcome can be achieved with something I call bulk decision-making.
What is minimalism but making one choice that affects many outcomes: wardrobe, diet, technology, etc. By making one general decision, you minimize the amount of decisions you need to make at a later date.
For many, this boils down to addressing what's called “decision fatigue.” This is the idea that someone can only make a set number of decisions effectively each day before their decision-making skills become fatigued and subpar. Now, I can't speak to decision fatigue, but I can speak to the need or desire to streamline your life and daily habits.
What it is
Bulk decision-making is a response to this desire. By deciding something in advance to cover as many outcomes as possible, you can minimize the amount of mental energy it takes to address the situation at a later time.
For example, deciding on what to eat for breakfast every day is a bulk decision many people already make. Most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day. That way, they don't need to decide what to eat each morning. Now, make another decision about what to eat every day for lunch, and you've made another bulk decision: deciding once for many occurrences.
This is slightly different from meal planning every week. Weakly meal planning is a way of preemptively making many decisions before their deadlines. Bulk decision-making is making one decision and applying it to many situations. Deciding on one weakly meal plan to repeat each week is a bulk decision.
Think of bulk-decision making similarly to making general rules for life in different scenarios. When any given situation comes up, how are you going to handle it? It can create routine, form buying habits, or shape your diet. By deciding ahead of time, you don't have to think about it at that moment. Self-discipline becomes easier, because there aren't other choices to choose from.
Another great but more extreme example of this is deciding on what color or colors your wardrobe contains. Most people buy many different clothes from many different palettes that don't match or come together well. By sticking to a palette, or in my case, one color (black), you minimize the choices you need to make when looking for new clothes, and deciding what to wear for any occasion is a breeze. Your options are limited and decisions become easier.
What it's not
Now, this is not a one size fits all solution. For example, a bulk decision many people make is to choose Apple products. You no longer need to decide on which phone, laptop, tablet, apps, or services you are going to purchase or use. Just use the latest one Apple offers and don't think about it any further.
This works for many people, but also comes with restrictions. When done well, bulk decision-making liberates you from excess choices. But in this instance, it can actually lock you into future decisions, deviating from which can be quite the chore.
The goal is not to lock yourself into a decision for the rest of your life, but to minimize decisions when possible. Bulk decisions should be periodically reevaluated and remade when necessary.
In the case of diet, eating the same thing every day could have negative health outcomes. Especially if you didn't make a proper, well-rounded meal decision in the first place, and you aren't consistently evaluating your results.
Just remember, though bulk decision-making should ultimately save time and energy, making an affective bulk decision often requires more initial effort than making decisions on the fly. If you don't put in the work to make a proper bulk decision and evaluate it periodically, your outcome could be worse in the long run.
Conclusion
Therefore, bulk decision-making can be an effective tool when used intentionally, but can be quite detrimental when used haphazardly. So, if you are drawn to the benefits of minimalism, if you want to apply the freedom it affords to other aspects of your life, and you are willing to put in the work up front, consider bulk-decision making.
Just start by asking yourself “how can this be solved by a bulk decision,” and you might find it easier and more intuitive than you'd expect. The following is a list of some bulk decisions I make to get the most out of my mental energy: – Wear all black clothes – Use Linux on my computers – Use GrapheneOS on my phone – Drink black coffee – Choose sugar-free sodas – Eat the same thing for breakfast – Feed my cats the same brand of food – Feed my cats at 7am and 7pm every day – Don't eat food 3 hours before bed – Don't drink water 2 hours before bed – Minimize screen time 1 hour before bed – Get in bed at 10 every night – Wake up every day at 6 – Journal first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening – Run every day – Etc.
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