😴 Decision Fatigue is Killing Your Performance - Here's the 15-min Daily Protocol That Fixes It

100? 500? 1,000?

Try 35,000 decisions in a single day! 🤯

That's what research tells us about the average person. Even more mind-blowing? Cornell University found we make over 226 FOOD-related decisions daily (and we're only aware of about 14 of them!).

The Science Behind Decision Burnout 🔬

Roy Baumeister's research reveals that our cognitive willpower is like a muscle that fatigues with overuse. Scientists call this 'Ego Depletion' - and just like a muscle, nutrition and training affect how quickly it tires.

'Decision Fatigue' is what happens when that mental muscle gets worn out. Here's the scary part: our decision quality tanks in predictable ways, here’s what the studies say:

✅ Judicial decisions: Surgeons make worse operative decisions later in the day (book morning appointments!)

✅ Shopping behaviour: Depleted shoppers are "more likely to yield to any kind of temptation, especially candy and soda" (hello, checkout aisle psychology!)

✅ Risk assessment: Mental fatigue makes us more risk-averse in strategic situations (this has huge ramifications in business, think twice about late-day board meetings)

✅ Ethical choices: Depleted people are more likely to cheat and make morally questionable decisions

✅ Persistence: The famous cookie study that gave rise to the Ego Depletion theory showed depleted participants gave up 40% faster on challenging tasks

Your Calendar: Decision Fatigue's Kryptonite 📅

The solution? Reduce the decisions your brain has to wrestle with so you can save your mental energy for what truly matters.

Make your calendar your superpower:

🎯 Schedule EVERYTHING - gym sessions, school pick-ups, email processing blocks (stop checking ad-hoc!)

🎯 Be insanely specific - add detailed notes with clear goals for each block (clarity triggers flow, if you missed my flow triggers edition, catch it here)

🎯 Align to bigger goals - eliminate mental chatter about whether you're doing the right thing

Spend 15 minutes planning the night before or during your morning routine. This maintains motivation, reduces decision fatigue, prevents goal displacement, and creates order from chaos.

💡 Pro-tip: The science has also shown that blood glucose levels directly correlate with decision quality. Keep some nuts or fruit handy before important meetings - your brain will thank you! 🥜🍎