Decision-making is hard. When done properly it takes time, effort and personal reflection. Given the cost of the activity it makes sense just to make important decisions. But what about every other decision people want you to make? The short answer is to stop deciding, so here are some practical tips for reducing your decision load.

1. Delegate?Tell co-workers or employees what kind of decision-making authority they have and then get out of their way. You may have to check in on the first few but once the process is working you?ll have 22% fewer decisions to make per week. Guaranteed.
2. Set a policy?If you find yourself making the same kind of decision frequently figure out some rules and then leave it alone. For example, if a sales rep wants to know if their prospect can have a price break sit down with your rep and colleagues and figure out a good pricing policy that?s aligned with your company?s strategy, is fair to all your customers and makes sense. Then let it go. Check in on the policy to see if it?s working and revise if necessary.
3. Clarify goals and values?Once you have these sorted out a lot of decisions make themselves. For, example if you have integrity as a value you don?t have to make any decisions about whether or not to break the law, circumvent regulations or dump toxic waste. Let everyone know what your team and organization goals are. If you are in a cost-saving mode then it?s easy to decide whether or not to fly to Hawaii for a Bob in Accounting?s birthday party.
4. Cost/Benefit of Status Quo?Sometimes you can avoid a decision by assessing the cost/benefit of the status quo. If things are going to be fine if you don?t decide then move on to the next decision.

These four tactics will do two things. First, they?ll reduce the number of decisions you have to make. Secondly, they?ll make the remaining ones harder. (It?s not all good news.) However, those harder decisions are the ones that will make the biggest difference to your success.