You’ve perhaps heard of the study that proved that a judge is more likely to approve prisoners up for parole earlier in the morning, than after he returns (sleepy) from lunch?
Decision fatigue is a real thing, and it affects everyone — not just justices. Over the course of the day, our decision-making gets worse.
And considering that another research study showed the typical person making about 2,000 small decisions every waking hour, no one is exempt from decision fatigue. In fact, being strung out and overtired is one of the top 6 reasons people make bad decisions at work.
Contrary to popular belief, a quadruple macchiato is not the best way to solve decision fatigue when it sets in at work. As Harvard Business Review puts it, “To counter it, identify the most important decisions you need to make, and, as often as possible, prioritize your time so that you make them when your energy levels are highest.”
