It's Not a Lack of Willpower. It's Decision Fatigue.

If even simple choices feel hard right now… here's why.

Every Sunday, I sit down and come up with a meal plan for the week (or I should say I try). And every week, it feels like such a daunting task.

I know if I didn't take the time to do this, my trip to the grocery store Monday morning will not only cost more, it’ll leave me with lots of random items, but it'll take me longer and be way more frustrating too.

But that still doesn't make the planning part any easier.

The Weekly Dinner Puzzle

I rotate through the same 4 smoothies for breakfast and either make a salad with chicken, egg wraps, or leftovers for lunch. But 7 nights of dinner staring me down every week feel like trying to solve a puzzle while hangry. 🧩

And I have a toddler to plan lunch ideas for. Lately, his idea of dinner is "sauce," Ketchup or mayonnaise. The rest of the food? Just a delivery device.

We even have a standard Sunday night dinner plan: steaks, sweet potato fries, and a roasted veggie.

So technically, I only have to come up with 6 ideas. I've been coming up with "What to make for dinner" for decades now, but somehow it never gets easier.

Throw in the fact that I have to stop what I'm in the middle of to go make dinner, and I can still end up standing in front of the fridge at 5:12 PM, exhausted. Hungry, but also irritable, overstimulated, and quietly simmering with resentment that it's up to me, again.

I do have to give credit to my husband, if I'm running too late, he'll suggest takeout from one of our go-to spots.

But it's just so many decisions: what's for lunch tomorrow, whether there's enough bread, what time I need to start cooking to get everyone fed before meltdown o'clock … and somehow this one decision feels like a mountain.

When I step back and think about what's really going on here, I can see it's not really about food.

It's about decision fatigue.

And it's more than mental, it's hormonal, emotional, and deeply tied to how women are conditioned to carry the decision-making load for everyone.

Why You're Not Just Tired, You're Overloaded

We don't just make decisions, we carry the weight of them. All the tiny micro-decisions build up, accumulate, and deplete us:

• What to wear

• When to switch the laundry

• Who needs a birthday gift

• Whether you should reply to that text

• What snacks to pack

• When to schedule that appointment

• Whether the kids need jackets today

And perimenopause only intensifies it, mental fog, mood shifts, energy drops make every choice feel heavier.

When you see it like this, it becomes clear: Decision fatigue isn't a personal failure. It's a system overload. 🤯

Part of the relief comes from reconnecting to what matters most to you, so you can start letting go of what doesn't.

A Values Filter, Not a Productivity Hack

Instead of asking "What's the best thing to do?" try asking:

"Which choice reflects what I care about most right now?"

• Is it peace? Choose the easiest dinner, even if it's "girl dinner" (aka snacks on a plate)

• Is it presence? Skip the to-do and sit down with your kid or go for a 10-minute walk

• Is it rest? Say no. Don't explain.

This is how we can start making our way back to ourselves, making fewer but better aligned decisions. It's not about optimizing every moment.

It's about choosing what actually matters to you, not what's been conditioned into your brain by culture, Pinterest, or perfectionism.

✨ This Week's Tiny Edit: One Less Choice

Choose one recurring decision you can eliminate or automate this week:

• Set a default breakfast

• Pick a go-to outfit for mornings

• Make a list of "no-thought" dinners and stick it to the fridge

• Rotate the same 3 lunches for the week

Small, boring, beautiful decisions = energy saved for what matters.

The Real Reason You're Standing in Front of the Fridge at 5:12 PM

You're not indecisive. 

You're carrying too much.

What's one decision that drains you more than it should, and what might it feel like to let it go?🪽Drop your answer right here in the comments.

I try to live like a minimalist, partly by choice and partly due to square footage. Our home is just over 1,000 square feet. My husband and I both work from home, and my toddler accumulates all the things faster than I can let go of what he’s outgrown.

So when I find something I love, something truly worth the space it takes up, you can bet it’s good.

Each week, I’ll share a few of those gems here.

→ The Not-Too-Cropped Sweatshirt
Been living in this all week. It’s cropped just right for longer torsos and has that wide, boxy fit I love. Honestly, “wide, cropped, and boxy” might be my summer mood. And it’s on sale for $30!

→ The Secret Weapon
When my go-to deodorant stopped working (thanks, perimenopause + stress), a friend recommended this. I use it twice a week, and the stink is gone. Total game-changer, and I still get to use my regular deodorant.

→ Yes, That Deodorant
This is the only one that’s worked for me. I stopped using it for a while when they changed the stick to a weird men’s shape (why?). But they brought back the unisex oval, win. I use the scented one, mostly so I can tell if I remembered to put it on.

If this post resonated, tap the heart, leave a comment, restack it, or pass it along to a friend. Every little bit of support — quiet or loud — helps me keep going. ♡

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A Question

I’ve been working on a digital companion to May’s theme of energy editing, something simple, soulful, and under $50 to support your real life (not your idealized one).

I’m playing with three different formats, and I’d love to know which one you’d actually want in your hands (or on your screen). Will you let me know?