Decision fatigue explained
It is linked to Roy Baumeister's ego-depletion research on self-control. A large 2016 replication across 23 labs and 2,141 people found an effect close to zero, so treat it as a helpful rule of thumb rather than settled science.
Either way, fewer trivial decisions frees attention. Routines, defaults and decisions made in advance all help.
Try it today
- Make recurring choices once, such as meals or what to work on first.
- Put important decisions early in the day.
- Use checklists and templates for routine work.
Frequently asked questions
- What is decision fatigue?
- Decision fatigue is the idea that making many decisions in a row wears down the quality of later decisions. It is a popular and useful idea, but the research behind it is contested.
- How do I start with decision fatigue?
- Make recurring choices once, such as meals or what to work on first. Put important decisions early in the day. Use checklists and templates for routine work.
- Which tools help with decision fatigue?
- Tools in our directory that help include Notion, Todoist, Routinery, Sunsama. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.