4 Easy Decision-Making Trees That Make You More Efficient

 

I'm going to be honest with you. I wasn’t always the most efficient person, either at home or at work. I used to say I work best under a short deadline, but in reality, I was once the queen of procrastination and left things until the last minute. Then, predictably, I scrambled to get them done.

 

Since then, I have tried many different ways to make me more efficient. By far and away, the best tool I've used is the decision tree.

 

If you struggling with your own lack of productivity and procrastination, then dig in for some decision tree magic:

 

What is a decision tree?

 

In layman's terms, decision trees are the easiest and most efficient way to plan. It's a set of either/or questions that help you take action.

 

It works because it helps take some of the weight off your mind—you don't have to entertain every idea at once. Instead, you can write them all out, analyze each possible outcome once they're out of your mind, and make the best decision from there.

 

The nicest thing about decision trees is they aren’t just for work. You can use them for everything—even banal things like choosing which color will look best on the walls of your living room or where you should go for dinner.

 

How do decision trees make you more efficient?

 

Before we dig into the efficiency factor, I need to introduce you to another concept—decision fatigue.

 

We all make hundreds of decisions every day. Do we wear the black shirt or the blue one? Do we take the interstate or the back roads to work? Do we pack a lunch or eat out?

 

Making so many decisions every single day is exhausting, but we do it anyway because for most of us, it's as natural as breathing. If you're having problems with efficiency, this decision fatigue can be the straw that breaks the camel's back. In a cutthroat corporate world, that's the last thing you need.

 

These decisions don't just have to be about things you do, either. They can cover everything from your personal stance on politics to your preference for office chairs.

 

For example, you can use a decision tree to weigh the cons and pros of being sustainable at the office. You might think, “Printing less paper could reduce landfill waste, but I think better on paper.” So, you can break it down on a decision tree. Should you work primarily on your laptop or continue printing your meeting notes?