What is Decision Fatigue?
The deteriorating quality of decisions made after a long session of decision-making. As mental energy depletes, people default to the path of least resistance: choosing the status quo, deferring decisions, or making impulsive choices. First studied by social psychologist Roy Baumeister, the concept explains why willpower and judgment are finite daily resources.
My perspective
In practice
The practical implication: structure your day so important decisions happen early, automate or eliminate trivial decisions (Steve Jobs's wardrobe, Obama's two suits), and batch similar decisions together. In workshops and strategy sessions, decision fatigue is why the best facilitators front-load the hardest choices and use structured frameworks (dot voting, 2×2 matrices) to reduce cognitive overhead.