Free your brain from trivial decision making

[ripper1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjquantz Agree about the clothes! One summer when I was teaching, I bought back to school clothes on-line, twelve polo shirts in 3 different colors and 3 pairs of khaki pants. Perfect, I was set for the year. I guess the students noticed what I wore because one day in the spring an entire class of physics students showed up in khaki pants and polo shirts.

Wow, that's too funny.

[Chuckanut]

It's very possible to have a small streamlined wardrobe and still be able to dress nicely and not look the same day after day.

It's also easy to learn a few cooking techniques and produce good food day after day. One just needs to want to do it. We're all different when it comes to what rocks our boat.

[Katsmeow]

I actually wrote about this on my blog recently. In my case, it was in the context of what I see as the illusion of choice and weight loss.

That is, having to make too many choices can make weight loss harder. I do like to feel that I can eat anything for example. I don't choose to make any foods entirely forbidden. On the other hand, some choices are better for weight loss than others. I do best by having a routine with some guidelines or rules and not having to make an individual choice at every meal.

I'll give an example. I used to buy cookies at the store. On my weight loss plan it is OK to eat cookies sometimes, but obviously I have to watch how much. So, when they were in the pantry every time I walked in the kitchen I had to make the choice -- cookies now? -- anew. It was fatiguing to have to make the choice all the time. And, too often, I didn't make the best choice.

So -- I decided to give myself less choice on it. I don't buy cookies for the house anymore. I still make choices on cookies. I will eat one at Subway, for example, or when I come across them occasionally away from home. And, I don't always do that.

But basically it does free my brain and help my "willpower" to not have to make a choice multiple times a day as to whether to have cookies.

[jjquantz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow I actually wrote about this on my blog recently. In my case, it was in the context of what I see as the illusion of choice and weight loss. That is, having to make too many choices can make weight loss harder. I do like to feel that I can eat anything for example. I don't choose to make any foods entirely forbidden. On the other hand, some choices are better for weight loss than others. I do best by having a routine with some guidelines or rules and not having to make an individual choice at every meal. I'll give an example. I used to buy cookies at the store. On my weight loss plan it is OK to eat cookies sometimes, but obviously I have to watch how much. So, when they were in the pantry every time I walked in the kitchen I had to make the choice -- cookies now? -- anew. It was fatiguing to have to make the choice all the time. And, too often, I didn't make the best choice. So -- I decided to give myself less choice on it. I don't buy cookies for the house anymore. I still make choices on cookies. I will eat one at Subway, for example, or when I come across them occasionally away from home. And, I don't always do that. But basically it does free my brain and help my "willpower" to not have to make a choice multiple times a day as to whether to have cookies.

It's funny how context makes some decisions easier. I find it very easy to decide not to buy cookies in the store but, if they are already at home, I find it very difficult not to eat 3, 4, 5, 6 or more at a time. So, I don't bring cookies home.

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjquantz It's funny how context makes some decisions easier. I find it very easy to decide not to buy cookies in the store but, if they are already at home, I find it very difficult not to eat 3, 4, 5, 6 or more at a time. So, I don't bring cookies home.

Exactly.

[Walt34]

Must be an INTJ/ISTJ characteristic, I don't like rapid change either, but do some. Unless it's a special occasion my pants are blue jeans with white socks and sneakers and a pullover shirt with a pocket and collar. In the winter it's a flannel shirt.

Food is pretty much the same with slow rotations but depends on the weather. Right now I'm eating a lot of salad as the main meal but that will change to something hot in the winter.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREd When it comes to food, though, I am in the habit of cooking a wide variety of dishes. And sometimes I run out of ideas. When DW asks what's for dinner, it would be nice to be able to reply "the usual, dear".

OK! Here's an idea.

Figure out five favorite meals, and assign one to each day from Monday to Friday. For example, if these are your five favorite meals (I doubt it!) then:

Mondays: boiled shrimp and corn
Tuesdays: Hamburger and homemade fries
Wednesdays: Chicken stir-fry
Thursdays: Steak and green beans
Fridays: baked fish with salad

You can serve "the usual" on Mondays through Fridays. You will both know exactly what is for dinner on every Monday through Friday from now on.

Saturday and Sundays can be the day for variety/surprises. This way you can have the opportunity to prepare interesting foods on the weekends, but most days you will not have to come up with ideas. If one of your new weekend menus turns out to be fabulous, you could officially change one of the five weekday menus to include it.

[robnplunder]

I prefer to have mix of both. For somethings, I like to keep them as routine as they get. Others, I need to find new things to spice up my life.

To OP's post ... eating same food and wearing same cloths every day struck me as life in jail. Eating food is one of pleasures in life. Your grandparents probably missed out on a lot of things. No need to repeat their (people two generations ago) life style which may have worked for them.

[FIREd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnplunder I prefer to have mix of both. For somethings, I like to keep them as routine as they get. Others, I need to find new things to spice up my life. To OP's post ... eating same food and wearing same cloths every day struck me as life in jail. Eating food is one of pleasures in life. Your grandparents probably missed out on a lot of things. No need to repeat their (people two generations ago) life style which may have worked for them.

I don't think I could eat the same thing everyday, but what W2R suggested above might work fine for me. I am not trying to live like my grandparents, just trying to find the right balance between no choice and too many choices.

[FUEGO]

Sign me up for a little same ole same ole with some variety occasionally. We tend to eat at the same restaurants, shop at the same stores and cook the same 15-20 "different" meals but often eat the same thing a few times in row.

Every once in a while we try a new place (like last weekend). The restaurant wasn't as good as our normal 6-7 restaurants but it was different and we tried Salvadoran food for the first time.

I also like to try new things occasionally at the grocery store. I'll sometimes grab an ingredient I'm unfamiliar with to see what it's like (guava paste, achiote powder, raw carne al pastor, different kinds of curries being recent purchases).

I've realized that something simple like picking out which t-shirt or polo shirt I'm going to wear and which pair of shorts gives me a little bit of anxiety. I go into analysis mode and think about the weather today, where I'm going, how dirty will I get, will I see people I know, will I need these shirt/shorts later in the week, when is laundry day, etc. I'm an over-optimizer, what can I say. When I sometimes shower and get dressed again shortly before bed and rewear the same clothes the next morning, I'm relieved that I don't have to pick out the clothes first thing in the morning when my brain is still half asleep.

[Rickt]

Most people living in 3rd world countries don't have so many choices and would love to trade places with one of us.
I am thankful that we have choices..... It is a 1st World problem.
Having said that I still like to keep my wardrobe/life simple but do love to try different kinds of cuisines every chance I get.

[48Fire]

I can eat the same meals, wear the same clothes, but my wife is very different.

[Chuckanut]

The goal of freeing one's brain from trivial decisions is a perfect reason to get the new iHat.

[rodi]

My kids go to a magnet school that has a uniform. Khaki pants and polo shirts of 1 of 3 colors. As the chief shopper, laundress, get-em-out-the-door-in-the-morning drill sergeant... I *love* uniforms for them. I have my own version of uniform that works pretty good year round here in San Diego: cropped/capri cargo pants, blouse, tevas. If it's raining I might do long pants and converse sneakers. But that is pretty rare here in San Diego.

As far as food - we have foods that are in heavy rotation, and foods that are still regular, but in lighter rotation. We tend to cook for 2 meals worth - so we get lunches out of the leftovers. Very much in a routine. But we try new stuff, too... as time and inspiration strikes. Both DH and I are pretty good cooks, and unafraid to try new stuff - so we add to the repertoire fairly often. I will admit our dinners are fairly Italian-centric - lots of Mediterranean dishes. I blame my sicilian descended husband for that.

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjquantz Agree about the clothes! One summer when I was teaching, I bought back to school clothes on-line, twelve polo shirts in 3 different colors and 3 pairs of khaki pants. Perfect, I was set for the year. I guess the students noticed what I wore because one day in the spring an entire class of physics students showed up in khaki pants and polo shirts.

Angela Merkel has this down to a tee!

Angela Merkel's jackets: many colours but just one look | Fashion | The Guardian

[flyingaway]

Although I do not care about clothes very much, I do change shirts every day. We cook our simple food most of the time, and would rotate beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc, so that we do not get the same food every day. However, if we go out to eat, my first choice is always McDonalds, although my wife does not want that and sometimes would rather not eat at all.

[Sue J]

My clothes are nothing fancy but I do have some variety. Like a few other posters if I find something I like I get a few of them in different colors. I just don't like to shop.

One of my first jobs was at FOTOMAT, manning one of those film processing kiosks you'd see everywhere. The job was fine for what it was but after a few months I was so tired of the uniform! After that I don't mind deciding what to wear.

[MBAustin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickt Most people living in 3rd world countries don't have so many choices and would love to trade places with one of us. I am thankful that we have choices..... It is a 1st World problem. Having said that I still like to keep my wardrobe/life simple but do love to try different kinds of cuisines every chance I get.

+1

Planning dinner each night is generally one of my favorite things to do and generally I don't repeat any meals, even our favorites, for at least a month. And we usually try new restaurants at least half of the time when we go out (we don't go out a lot though).

I tried the polo shirts and tan capris for summer the past 2 years and this year decided it was too boring. Just got some new shirts from LLBean today - one linen and one cotton plaid.

[gcgang]

A friend if mine wore the same thing every day and didn't give a second thought to his food for five years. Then he got out on parole.


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[Garth]

Just as well...but I think you knew that already.