Decision Fatigue is a thing.

It is something many of us are struggling with in this continuous time of pandemic and it is something that I know very well since having had a burnout. Basically, your ability to make decisions can get worse after making many decisions, you can literally be tired of making decisions and may feel overwhelmed by seemingly little choices. Sound familiar? I am actually really good at making big decisions. Hey, we gave up our home again, so that we could get out of the big city and homeschool the kids by the beach. And we made all that happen in under two months. Yet, I also crave clarity and simplicity. Which is a huge challenge as Covid, lockdowns, travel restrictions, learning good ways to homeschool our two kids, helping kids process big emotions, is kind of the opposite of clarity and simplicity.

I was looking for a merino dress online and I came across the dress company wool& whose aim is “to design the most practical, most wearable item in your wardrobe.” And they invite you to participate in their 100 Day Dress Challenge. The concept is simple. Wear the same dress for 100 days. Simplify, wash less, no need to think about what to wear, more appreciation of simplicity and quality. I loved the idea from the moment I heard it and was happy to get my dress this spring. Finding this one place of clarity and simplicity is amazing. While it took me a moment to become used to my new dress, we are now inseparable. This dress has become my uniform, cocoon, powershield.


I have completed the challenge and I am now on Day 108 as I continue to wear it until I get my reward dress (yes, you actually get a reward for completing the challenge!). Having my one dress, that I knew I would just wear every day, definitely gave me a piece of mind on one small level. And I may just now realize how grateful I am for the ease of decision fatigue it offered. When we came to Portugal I had packed for winter, and all my previous summer dresses were worn out over many seasons. By now we decided to continue on long term travels and I plan to only have three dresses and some basic layering pieces as my wardrobe. This is not a new concept as we have been on long term travels before. Just this time it feels like I am really in love with the pieces I am getting and I am actually doing it in style. Makes me happy. There are many reasons women participate in this dress challenge. The facebook group for the challenge is one of the most supportive places I have encountered online. It has been really interesting to read the different stories of learning to love your body, to let go of addictive fast fashion behaviours, to let go of mountains of clothes on your chair, to let go of other people's judgements and learn that most people you see every day don’t even notice you are wearing the same dress, to learn about sustainability, and to simplify your life intentionally and make space for what you really care about. I have talked with a few coaching clients about the challenge and the point of finding that one place of clarity and simplicity is what they all connect to. It doesn’t have to be your wardrobe, yet I ask you: What is an area in your life that you would like to simplify? Maybe even in a drastic way, in order to have more energy and clarity for your life in general? I would love to hear your answers!