Enhancing Productivity: Decision Fatigue and Crappy Afternoons
Busy-ness, chronotypes and creating a new normal
If I ask you to picture Steve Jobs, what comes to mind?
Most likely, you’ll conjure up an image of the innovator in his black turtleneck and jeans. And fair enough, considering he seemed to wear that outfit almost exclusively.
Mark Zuckerberg and some other start-up founders also have pretty monotonous wardrobes. It’s almost like they’ve given themselves a uniform.
What some don’t realise is this dedication to a single ‘look’ is rarely due to some lack of interest in fashion trends (okay, maybe there’s a bit of that… I mean, black turtleneck).
But the main reason for the self-imposed uniform is simply this: It’s one less decision to make throughout the day.
Decision fatigue occurs when we make so many choices during the day that our capacity for sound decision-making declines.
We have a limited amount of energy for decision-making, so minimising the peripheral choices we would otherwise add to the mix can help us focus on more important things. Otherwise, by the time evening rolls around, we end up irritable and exhausted. You could find yourself at the tail end of the workday, making dumb concessions in a negotiation. Or, you could be so mentally drained that you give in to your impulse to order too much junk food from UberEats. Lowered inhibitions and stupid choices because our brain is done and over it.
Decision fatigue is real, but there are small things we can do to minimise the blow.
Consider the difference between waking up and scouring through your wardrobe for an appropriate outfit, versus picking up the carefully folded uniform you’ve pre-chosen for yourself. Think about how much more draining it is to try and figure out when you’re going to exercise today, when you’re going to each lunch, when you’re going to listen to that podcast… compared to an existing routine where these tasks are all scheduled neatly into your day.
In each case, the latter takes up less cognitive energy than the former. So, you’re able to put more effort into the substantive stuff. You can focus on the execution without getting…
