Decision fatigue is driven by the exhaustion of making choices, not by the complexity of the problems being faced. People often mistake complexity for the draining factor, even though the brain’s decision-making capacity is finite and smaller than expected. Many decisions occur with little emotion through subconscious processing, yet the brain still performs repeated data assessment loops. Leaders who feel overwhelmed by decisions may incorrectly assume the subject matter is too complex, when the real issue is too many choices competing for limited capacity. Preserving energy is easiest and most effective by eliminating smaller, unimportant decisions and setting routines that aim for zero decisions in advance.
"Decision fatigue is a well-documented concept. One study said the average American adult makes 35,000 decisions in a day. When leaders of companies-who have more decisions on their plate than average-struggle to make decisions, they think there's something complex about the subject matter itself. The instinct is totally rational. But that isn't how the brain works, and it's the reason the complexity argument gets shoved in front of the real issue."
"Set up your pre-work routine. Goal: zero decisions. The stories about Obama and Zuckerberg (and Gates before them) only wearing two suits are well documented. That sounds silly because the suit is literally the easiest decision those men make each day (let's hope). The insight is not about the complexity of those decisions. It's that our decision-making capacity is finite, and it's smaller than you think."
"Eliminating smaller, unimportant choices is the easiest and most effective way to preserve energy. Being mindful of unnecessary choices preserves our capacity for larger decisions. Most people misidentify complexity as draining. But choice is more exhausting."
Read at Psychology Today
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