Decision Fatigue, Guitars, And The Science Of Simplicity

[László]

I'm in the music business. I make a good chunk of my living cutting guitar tracks. When folks come to my studio, invariably someone will say, "I bet you have a great guitar collection!"

But I don't. I don't want one. For at least the last decade, I've refused to have more than two electric guitars, and one acoustic in my studio. Most of my guitar playing friends and fellow studio rats have many more.

It's largely a result of self-discovery.

I suffer from what I've sometimes described as paralysis by analysis. I find that if I have too many choices in instruments, I spend too much time deciding what instrument to record with, instead of what notes I need to actually play. And I've found that with few exceptions, two electric guitars gets all of my work done (the exception is if I need a specialty guitar, like a 12 string, that I need to record once in a blue moon).

This doesn't imply or mean that I'm in any way critical of folks who make the choice to have lots of guitars. I can only describe what works for me, and I do not prescribe solutions for others!

Then too, I also wear a black T-shirt every single day, and jeans, because not having to decide what to wear makes life less annoying. I don't even like deciding what to eat. I like to concentrate on the many decisions I have running my music production business, composing tracks, producing, arranging, etc. I'm very big on concentration, especially during a project. My wife wonders why I become annoyed as hell if I have to decide where to go out for dinner!

Well, it turns out that there's something called "Decision Fatigue" that explains this kind of thing. And it turns out, it's not necessarily a bad thing! In fact, it's SCIENCE!

I happened to read about it because I was reading an article about Michigan's new coach, Jim Harbaugh who basically wears the same uniform every day. There was a link to this article, explaining why certain successful people also purposely avoid Decision Fatigue:

http://elitedaily.com/money/science-simplicity-successful-people-wear-thing-every-day/849141/

I'm not alone! I'm very relieved!

I showed the article to my wife, who really has never understood me despite being together for many years, and while she enjoyed the article, she still doesn't understand me. LOL!!

 

[toothace]

Same boat here...except I do vary the t-shirt. Maybe that's why my mind aches sometimes LOL. And I'm totally with yo on the deciding where to eat thing...just pick someplace you like...I'm SURE i'll find something on the menu!

 

[alphasports]

For at least the last decade, I've refused to have more than two electric guitars, and one acoustic in my studio. Most of my guitar playing friends and fellow studio rats have many more.

It's largely a result of self-discovery.

I suffer from what I've sometimes described as paralysis by analysis. I find that if I have too many choices in instruments, I spend too much time deciding what instrument to record with, instead of what notes I need to actually play. And I've found that with few exceptions, two electric guitars gets all of my work done (the exception is if I need a specialty guitar, like a 12 string, that I need to record once in a blue moon).

Hey Les! We speak the same speak, totally with you there right down to the numbers. Used to have 10-12 guitars all lined up, got rid of all of them in favor of playing vs pondering which one I hadn't seen in awhile. Now have 2 electrics and an acoustic. Phew!

Happy New Year

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I've seen the article (and the thousands like it) before and it never points out how imbalanced these people's lives are.

The argument always references materialism as an excuse to eat a f@ckin' chicken salad and dress like a goon everyday of your life because you're too busy making the "bigger" decisions. Einstein, Jobs, and Zuckerberg are/were only successful in certain aspects of their lives, none of them show(ed) well-rounded personalities or particularly deep and loving relationships, instead they were manic obsessive asshats with limited skill sets. Sure, they made money and changed the world (not necessarily for the better) but to call them a successful human being is debatable.

Fashion, food, and music is art. Depriving yourself of any of those to focus on one aspect of your existence is not only foolish and unfulfilling, it also makes you a boring person.

IMHO YMMV Not directed towards you personally, buddy.

 

[veinbuster]

I was aware of your (Les) approach a while ago and have total respect for it.

I like to change things up, mostly because I'm afraid of getting stuck in a rut and losing all of my creative ability when I get there. It works for me because I'm very comfortable passing judgement on how important the decision is, and just making a quick pick for the many decisions that don't require any thought. There is an inherent randomness in many of these choices. I'm OK with that and the fact that it might drive other choices; for example, once I've picked up a guitar it often dictates which amp/channel I will use, because I've concluded in the past which combination is most satisfying with this guitar.

So...many of my decisions in a day aren't really decisions, they are memory. I do rebel against it at times, but generally that is in the interest of a new experiment and again it is an easy decision because anything different will give me a chance to see if my tastes have changed. I'd hate to be stuck with 10 black t shirts when I realized my tastes have changed and I like orange better.

I do get tired of making decisions once in a while, usually after a set of ones that truly required some mental energy. When that happens I plow through the pile and then take a rest. Then I just grab the shirt on the top of the pile and eat whatever is closest to the front of the fridge.

 

[veinbuster]

...Sure, they made money and changed the world (not necessarily for the better) but to call them a successful human being is debatable.

Successful yes
...human and well rounded to varying degrees

I like your persective on this.

 

[rugerpc]

I think the middle ground is where happiness lies.

I'm not a fan of inconsequential decisions eating up my quality time, whether it is while working OR relaxing. It seems the trick for me is to avoid the extremes unless what you are actually looking for is an over-the-top solution.

That doesn't mean boring. It means obsessing over the right things. and not sweating the sh!t that doesn't matter by comparison.

Examples:

Clothing.
I'm not a clothes horse. I almost always wear sneakers, white socks, cargo pants and a t-shirt. Scrubs and the aforementioned sneakers and socks at work. F@ck suits and ties. But I own some to wear to make the missus happy when we go someplace other than Costco. In that equation, the missus is the important thing and the suit is not enough to obsess about. I have a lot of t-shirts with things printed on them that I don't wear, opting for solid colors and softer materials instead. Those printed shirts will probably become a throw or wall hanging.

(At this point, I hear Sergio asking, "What does one wear with a blue guitar?" And I can finally answer: Blue suede shoes, damnit!)

Food.
Meat. Veggies. Seasonings. Coca-cola (the good sh!t from Mexico with real cane sugar). Jameson. Boom. Done.
But I go with the missus to places that have things on the menu that I cannot pronounce. Do you see a trend yet?

Vehicle.
I run shooting matches. I do lots of remodeling (basement. garage. bathroom and kitchen are next). I haul a trailer frequently. I need to get to the office in the snow for the victims - er - patients. Black Jeep with 4 wheel drive and a class 3 hitch. Boom. Done.
But the missus drives an Avalon that we use to go to the restaurant with the unpronounceable menu items while I'm wearing a suit.

So, it's ok to obsess over some things, just make sure they are consequential. It also happens that other things can make what used to be consequential inconsequential.

 

[László]

I've seen the article (and the thousands like it) before and it never points out how imbalanced these people's lives are.

***

Fashion, food, and music is art. Depriving yourself of any of those to focus on one aspect of your existence is not only foolish and unfulfilling, it also makes you a boring person.

IMHO YMMV Not directed towards you personally, buddy.

Yeah, but I honestly think you have no idea what you are talking about here.

Not taking it personally.

Unless you're making fashion, it ain't art. It's shopping.

Unless you're creating the food, it ain't art. It's just eating.

As to making music and art, I do that, as you know. As to deep and meaningful relationships, I have them, as you know.

My wearing a black T shirt and blue jeans every day, and not obsessing over dining plans doesn't seem to interfere with what you say is important, nor does my obsession with my work affect any of the important stuff at ALL.

You'd certainly know that if you know me. I suspect that you'd also know it if you knew any of the other people you're calling obsessed asshats.

 

[AaeCee]

I definitely suffer from 'decision fatigue' as described probably because of the multitude of decisions I have to make on a daily basis. I'm a Wealth Advisor and could quickly and easily invest millions (and do on a daily basis), but ask me what I want for lunch and you'd have to give me some time to really ponder that one. The good part for my wife is that she can pretty much have her way when choosing any detail involving our home, social calendar, etc.

That said, I still have a pretty sick collection of about 10 guitars, but must admit that I'll often switch around a bit even during a one hour practice session.

 

[NomadMike]

No decision fatigue here. When I get up I check the weather, what my tasks for the day are, my mood and dress appropriately. I choose my food based on need, except on Friday when I head out with my wife and we just pick a place based on what we're in the mood for. At work my day is spent doing a good deal of analysis and decision making, and so far I've been pretty successful at it. I believe it's because I've learned to live in the moment and not worry about things I'm not currently dealing with, which allows me to focus on the task at hand, get it done and move on to the next task of the day.

I think these days people just create distractions that they believe need to be addressed "right now", which keeps them from just getting anything done. To me if a person likes to wear the same thing everyday because they like the look or just because it's efficient in the morning that's cool, but if someone can't get themselves dressed in the morning because they are pondering some bigger picture or multi-tasking everyday I have a hard time buying.

Also the article is by a political writer quoting a guy who writes the TV, music and cinema column for the Guardian, not a lot of peer reviewed science there.

But that's just my opinion and experience. YMMV.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

You'd certainly know that if you know me. I suspect that you'd also know it if you knew any of the other people you're calling obsessed asshats.

Yeah, 'cause I want more friends that never have a dinner suggestion and make me suspect they're wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

 

[László]

Yeah, 'cause I want more friends that never have a dinner suggestion and make me suspect they're wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

Well, I guess that leaves me out of your friendship circle!

Also the article is by a political writer quoting a guy who writes the TV, music and cinema column for the Guardian, not a lot of peer reviewed science there.

You know, that's fine with me.

The science part was originally kind of a joke in my post. But you made me freaking google it, and yeah, there are studies confirming it. See below.

But the fact is that some well known, highly focused people who've accomplished a lot in life share my peccadilloes when it comes to not wanting to deal with certain decisions.

So I kind of like the part that leads me to conclude that I'm not all that alone.

As I said in my first post, I'm not into prescribing things for other people to do. It's just nice to know that other people who seem to be doing fine in life have the same issues I do.

But if you need some scientific papers on the subject, you might start looking; Decision Fatigue is a recognized psychological phenomenon, and it is believed to affect many things, from impulse buying to judicial decision making.

Here's a scientific study on the subject that I downloaded, and I cut and pasted the title and joint authors from the PDF, as well as the synopsis:

Making Choices Impairs Subsequent Self-Control: A Limited-ResourceAccount of Decision Making, Self-Regulation, and Active Initiative

Authors:

Kathleen D. Vohs, University of Minnesota, Brandon J. Schmeiche, lTexas A&M University, Noelle M. Nelson, University of Minnesota, Roy F. Baumeister, Florida State University, Jean M. Twenge, San Diego State University, Dianne M. Tice, Florida State University

From the summary:

"Making choices led to reduced self-control (i.e., less physical stamina, reduced persistence in the face of failure, more procrastination,and less quality and quantity of arithmetic calculations). A field study then found that reduced self-control was predicted by shoppers’ self-reported degree of previous active decision making. Further studies suggested that choosing is more depleting than merely deliberating and forming preferences about options and more depleting than implementing choices made by someone else and that anticipating the choice task as enjoyable can reduce the depleting effect for the first choices but not for many choices."

So Mike, you want science? You got science.

Critics!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Well, I guess that leaves me out of your friendship circle!

Not really, 'cause I don't believe you. Any guy that has a fancy cowboy boot fetish and buys Private Stock guitars would be able to recommend a decent Mexican place.
Besides, we've talked about satin shirts, bellbottoms, nehru and Member's Only jackets before, so I know it's in you somewhere.

 

[László]

Not really, 'cause I don't believe you. Any guy that has a fancy cowboy boot fetish and buys Private Stock guitars would be able to recommend a decent Mexican place.
Besides, we've talked about satin shirts, bellbottoms, nehru and Member's Only jackets before, so I know it's in you somewhere.

You can ask anyone who knows me personally. I wear jeans and black T shirts every day, period. That's a fact, Jack. I didn't say I wear crappy stuff. I just wear the same color T shirt and jeans every day.

One day I will take a picture of my stack of black T shirts and jeans on hangars in my closet. I have a lot of black T shirts, my friend.

As for boots, what could be simpler than pulling on a pair of boots? No laces, pick black or brown. Simplicity itself, and with boots you don't get small pebbles in your shoes unless you try to throw some pebbles into them. The better the boots, the less headache you have with them.

In fact, it pays to have good stuff because it lasts a long time and is satisfying to work with.

Private Stock guitars are easier than any other kind to deal with. They always sound and play nice. What could be simpler than choosing to play a very great instrument? After you buy one, you never have to think twice about it except to clean it every so often and changes its strings when necessary. But it's always going to sound good and work well in the studio.

I can certainly recommend a good Mexican place. Just don't make me decide whether I want to go there.

Sure I know about fancy clothes. I practiced law for 16 years. I grew up a clothes horse. But I learned.

I don't like cheap stuff, simplicity doesn't mean cheap. You can be simple and have everything very high quality. But choice reduction means something to me.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Sorry Les, I deleted some lame posts of mine.

I know this started as a light-hearted thread and I kinda brought it down, so I apologize. I'm sorry about that, please forgive me.

I just wanna say I don't think making an effort to try new things or vary up your look is a waste of time, and that it goes unappreciated.

 

[NomadMike]

Thanks for the source Les, I've downloaded the paper and will give it a read.

 

[rugerpc]

NEWS FLASH: :Reconciliation Brings Two Friends Out Of The Closet

Michigan: Doc Ruger, with reporting by I. Make Stuffup

Well known local music fossil Lesteban recently patched up a minor feud with pop idol Sergio The White. After a spat about clothing choices and fine dining, the two long time friends share a manly A-frame hug and put their differences where it counts - in each other's closets. In a show of friendly solidarity, Lesteban and Sergio agreed to trade wardrobes for 3 months.

Normally flamboyant Sergio now finds himself with nothing but a stack of black t-shirts and jeans. His major fashion decision each day will be to choose between either black or brown cowboy boots. "I can definitely rock the black, but what color guitar does one wear with brown cowboy boots?" Said Sergio.

The normally conservative Lestiban was last seen wearing orange suede shoes, yellow leather pants and a pale yellow camisole with matching feather boa. He was heard mussing, "How does Sergio keep these damn feathers out of the strings. And crap, my nipples are hard!"

The friendship is saved, but industry sources say that there may be decreased booking for the two in their respective fields until the resolution pact is over.

 

[BrianC]

Eating artistic food can be an appreciation of that art as wearing fashion can be an appreciation of that art.

Wearing the same thing everyday can be freeing - like wearing a uniform in school can allow kids to focus on learning not fashion or status.

My guitar collection is getting smaller not bigger especially since I started playing in a band last year. I collected guitars for hobby and art appreciation, thinking I would have a tool for each task. What I found was my trusty CU24 with just the right pups was a "sure thing go to axe" that gave me confidence to focus on my playing (which NEEDS focus).

Life is about balance and exploration - I like to think of my approach as a modern day Renaissance Man.

 

[veinbuster]

Unless you're making fashion, it ain't art. It's shopping.

Unless you're creating the food, it ain't art. It's just eating.

Actually I think sometimes consuming art is an art form itself.
Maybe you're making a statement, and maybe you're just stimulating your senses or those of someone else.
Personally, I like this aspect of life, relish it even.

 

[wardog]

Public Service Announcement --What you talking about Willis!!!!

So I am who I am and that is who I am!!! Right:top: In the grand order of things what counts for me, counts for me. I need no explanation nor some analytical breakdown. This is me. And it works for me. At any given moment I or me or myself will want or need or yearn for what counts for me. So judge if you will or want or must, but don't ask me to change me. Only I or me or myself owns that deed.