Decision fatigue -- the phenomenon of making poorer decisions after long decision-making periods -- is a huge productivity pitfall. Essentially, your mental energy deteriorates after making decisions all day. Judges suffering from decision fatigue might rule against prisoners up for parole, while a shopper at the grocery checkout line might break down and buy a piece of candy.
Read on for a handful of ways to inhibit decision fatigue to protect your productivity at work.
- Make important, expensive or mission-critical decisions first. It isn't always possible to postpone a decision until the next morning; to inhibit decision fatigue, tackle the toughest items and issues first.
- Avoid back-to-back meetings. Expend all your mental energy at meetings, and you'll have none left when you return to your desk.
- Recharge throughout the day. Snacking wisely and emotional refueling are essential for long-term productivity; another way to recharge during the workday is through brief meditation sessions.
- Get perspective on your goals. It's much easier to prioritize decisions when you have a firm grasp of your team's goals and expectations.
- Recognize when you're mentally tapped out. Self-knowledge is an effective productivity tool; in terms of inhibiting decision fatigue, a good defense is sometimes your best offense.
Stop Adding. Start Subtracting.
The world keeps accelerating. The Simplicity Protocol helps ambitious professionals do less to achieve more through weekly elimination strategies you can implement in 20 minutes or less.
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