Contributed by Phil Svitek, filmmaker and 360 Creative Coach
Phil Svitek is a filmmaker, author, podcaster, and 360 Creative Coach dedicated to helping artists turn ambitious ideas into reality.
There’s a concept from essentialist thinking that has stayed with me for years:
Whenever possible, make one decision that eliminates a thousand smaller decisions.
At first glance, it sounds simple and almost obvious. But the more ambitious your goals become, especially as a creative, the more important this idea becomes. The reason is that one of the biggest drains on human energy is indecision rather than just hard work itself.
It’s waking up every day asking:
- Should I do this?
- Do I still want this?
- Is this realistic?
- Am I capable of pulling this off?
- Maybe I should do something else instead?
Every tiny internal negotiation consumes mental bandwidth. Eventually, that exhaustion turns from just cognitive into straight up physical. There’s a reason terms like “decision fatigue” exist. Your brain has limits. Every choice, even small ones, consumes energy. That’s why so many highly successful people simplify parts of their lives. Barack Obama famously reduced wardrobe choices. Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck for years. Tim Ferriss created strict rules around what books he would or wouldn’t read.
And, of course, it’s not about the clothes or the books. The point is preserving energy for what actually matters. And nowhere is this more important than in creative work.
Creativity Dies in Constant Negotiation
A lot of people think creatives struggle because they lack talent or knowledge. That’s rarely the actual issue. For most, the reason for the struggle is that they never fully commit. They stay trapped in the “maybe” phase, treating the project like a possibility instead of a decision.
As long as something remains a possibility, your brain continues evaluating whether you should do it rather than figuring out how to do it.
That distinction changes everything.
Once a decision becomes final internally, your mind begins working differently. Instead of exhausting yourself by debating whether to climb the proverbial mountain, start searching for the best paths up it.
That’s when solutions begin appearing. Not magically, but psychologically. Your brain shifts from resistance mode into problem-solving mode.
You Don’t Need to Know Everything Before You Begin
This is especially important for creatives starting a massive undertaking for the first time. Beginners often believe they need certainty before action. They think:
- I need to know how films are financed before making a movie.
- I need to know how publishing works before writing a book.
- I need to know how to run a business before launching one.
- I need the full roadmap before taking the first step.
But that’s not how most meaningful things happen. You learn because you committed and acted upon that commitment.
One of my favorite ideas is this:
It’s never about what you know. It’s about what you do when you don’t know.
That’s the real separator, because rarely in life do we have all the information needed to pursue something. And certainly not if it's meaningful, in whatever way we want to define that. The people who actually build things are the ones who continue despite uncertainty.
The Bogotá Decision
My second feature film is probably the clearest example of this in my own life. Before I had a script... And before I had financing... Even before I had a real story idea... I decided I was making a movie in Bogotá, Colombia.
That was the decision.
Not “maybe,” or “if things line up,” or “someday.” I simply claimed it: I’m doing this.
And then everything else followed. Sometimes wildly out of order.
I started reaching out to actors I knew and asking if they wanted to be in the movie. Naturally, some of them asked: “What’s the story?” And my honest answer was: “Once you commit, I’ll build the story around you.” Which sounds insane in retrospect.
But that commitment forced creativity into motion. The movie didn’t emerge from certainty. Instead, it emerged from momentum.
I had never filmed in South America before. I didn’t fully know the logistics, and I didn’t know what problems would arise. I just knew the decision had already been made, and once people signed on board, there was no going back.
And because of that, every obstacle became a logistical problem instead of an existential crisis.
There’s a huge difference between:
- “This is hard, maybe I should quit.” and
- “This is hard, so how do I solve it?”
The commitment changes the question.
Commitment Forces Resourcefulness
People often underestimate how adaptive the human mind actually is. When something becomes non-negotiable, your brain starts searching differently. You notice opportunities you previously ignored. You ask better questions, and you become more resilient and resourceful.
It’s not because you suddenly became smarter. It’s just that your energy is no longer split between action and doubt.
There were countless moments in making my film where quitting would have been the easier option. Think production hurdles, travel challenges, scheduling problems, etc. If I hadn’t fully committed, I absolutely would’ve walked away at some point. But because the decision was already made, my mind kept searching for solutions.
That’s the hidden power of commitment: it simplifies the psychological landscape.
This Applies to More Than Creativity
The same principle applies to almost everything meaningful. Going to the gym becomes easier when you remove the daily debate. Not: “Do I feel like working out today?” Instead: “I’m someone who works out.”
The decision is already made. Now the only remaining question is logistics. The same applies to writing. Or relationships, diet, meditation, business, art, and so on.
People burn enormous amounts of energy renegotiating commitments they supposedly already made. That internal friction adds up.
Action Creates Clarity
A lot of people wait for clarity before acting. But in reality, action is often what creates clarity.
For example, you discover the story by writing. Or you discover how to be an entrepreneur by building a business. And without a doubt, you can't be a filmmaker without making films. You discover everything through the process itself.
As mentioned, very few people begin fully prepared. Most people figure it out because they decided they would. And yes, most of that means leaping before you feel ready.
Make the Bigger Decision First
A lot of creatives get trapped obsessing over tiny tactical details before making the larger existential decision. They debate:
- cameras
- logos
- software
- business cards
- fonts
- websites
- titles
- social strategy
…while still unconvinced they’re truly committed to the actual pursuit itself.
But once the larger decision is made, many smaller decisions either disappear or become obvious. That’s the real lesson. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is decide once, deeply and fully, so you no longer have to decide every day afterward.
Because when commitment becomes final, your mind stops asking if. And finally starts focusing on how.
