A few weeks ago my check engine light came on.
Nothing major. My wife just asked if I can schedule an oil change.
Sure.
At the shop a few days later the technician gave me two options:
One oil change for $110
Three oil changes for $180
I laughed. Who would buy just one with that imbalanced price?
For an extra $70, I could eliminate the need to think about oil changes for the next year.
Sold.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t just buying oil changes.
I was buying future decisions.
And apparently at this stage of life, I’m a huge fan of that.
⚡️ F5 Fast Files - Short Summary
The highest leverage decisions eliminate future decisions
Discipline is expensive. Structure is cheap.
The power isn’t increased probability. The power is reduced optionality.
🍳 There’s No Food At Our House!
My wife and I joke all the time:
“There isn’t any food at our house. Only ingredients.” 😂
And honestly, it’s true.
We basically have nothing you can just grab out of the pantry and snack on. Your best bet is an apple or some leftovers.
We learned long ago that if it’s at our house, it’s getting eaten. Good or bad.
“I’m going to eat healthier this week” isn’t a decision we have to make because, well, there aren’t enough options.
If I only buy eggs, turkey bacon, and fruit for breakfast…
Then guess what I’m eating for breakfast all week?
I made one decision at the grocery store that now applies seven times.
Maybe more.
Sound bland? Boring? Yeah.
But that’s leverage!
Decision Fatigue Is Real
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way while building this house.
When you’re making hundreds of decisions every week, your brain gets tired.
Colors.
Fixtures.
Schedules.
Contractors.
Deliveries.
Budgets.
Inspections.
By the end of the day, even simple decisions feel exhausting.
I hear the same thing from you guys all the time, “I spend all day making decisions for everyone at work, so by the time I get home I just don’t want to be everybody’s brain for a bit.”
Which is why I love what I call domino decisions:
One decision that knocks over ten more.
In the book Atomic Habits, there’s a concept to ‘make it invisible’ or ‘make it obvious’, depending on if you’re cultivating a good habit or breaking a bad one.
I want to take that one step further.
I don’t want it to be easy for future me to make good decisions, I want that to be his only option.
Discipline matters.
But sometimes we’re trying to solve the wrong problem.
Instead of asking:
“How can I repeatedly make the right choice?”
Ask:
“How can I eliminate the need to choose?”
🙈I Don’t Trust Future Me
Not because he’s a bad guy.
Not because he’s lazy.
Not because he lacks discipline.
I don’t trust future me because I know exactly what he’ll be dealing with.
He’ll be tired.
Busy.
Distracted.
Hungry.
Overwhelmed.
Pressed for time.
The same things that happen to all of us.
So rather than expecting future Justin to make the same good decision over and over again…
I try to make the good decisions in bulk.
✅ What Decisions Can You Make In Bulk?
What good decision could you make today that would save you from making ten more later?
Groceries or meal prep?
On vacation leave your laptop at home?
No phones at the dinner table?
Automatic payments to your savings account?
One decision.
Multiple positive outcomes.
A domino.
Sometimes the smartest decision isn’t the one that helps you make better choices tomorrow. It’s the one that makes tomorrow’s choice unnecessary.
Go be your best you!
Justin
F5 Brotherhood
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