The Hidden Cost of Too Many Choices

Why Decision Fatigue?is Sabotaging Your Success

Let me tell you about a study that’ll make you rethink every “big decision” you’ve ever made. Back in 2011, researchers followed a bunch of judges who were deciding whether or not to let prisoners out on parole. Now, you’d think that the prisoners’ crimes, their sentences, or even their behaviour behind bars would be the big deal, right?

Wrong.

While those things were looked at, the wild card—the thing that really swung the odds—was the time of day.

Yeah, you heard that right. If you showed up in the morning, you had a much better shot at walking free. But if your case came up in the afternoon, well…good luck. Even if your crime was practically the same as the guy before you, chances are you weren’t getting parole.

Now, why’s that? Simple. The judges were tired.

This might sound nuts at first, but the explanation is crystal clear: decision fatigue. (For those who love to go deep and study the source,?read it here .)

That’s the fancy way of saying their brains were tapped out by the afternoon. There were too many decisions to make in too short a time without a chance to recover, and now they were running on fumes. When you’re mentally fried like that, you make lazy decisions. In a situation like this, that’s a problem. Big time.

But here’s the thing: this doesn’t just happen to judges. This happens to all of us, every single day.

The question is: what kind of choices get us into this brain burnout, and how do we fix it?

Let’s break it down. Every decision you make—big or small—burns energy. Doesn’t matter if it’s choosing breakfast or picking where to go for your next vacation. But the catch is, you’ve only got so much mental gas in the tank every day. And once that tank’s empty? Your brain goes on cruise control, and you’re making decisions on autopilot.

How fast you burn through that gas depends on a few things. How often are you making choices? How tricky are they? And are they new or the same old stuff?

Think about this: figuring out what to eat for breakfast is no big deal. You’ve got limited options, you do it once a day, and, let’s be honest, the stakes are low. Even if you’re debating between toast or cereal, it’s not going to kill you if you choose wrong. You get a little mental break before the next decision rolls around.

Now, let’s talk about a high stacks decision. You’ve got to hire a key employee. Not just any employee—this one’s going to be critical for the future of your company. Maybe it’s a new VP of Sales, a Marketing Director, or a COO. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

This isn’t like ordering office supplies. This is about finding the right person to drive your business forward. You’re sifting through resumes, interviewing candidates, checking references, and analyzing what each one brings to the table. You’re thinking about culture fit, leadership potential, and whether this hire can help scale your company the way you need it to grow.

On top of all that, you know one wrong decision could set you back months, even years. Maybe you’ve already made a few bad hires in the past, so the pressure to get this one right is through the roof.

By the time you’ve sorted through every option, crunched numbers on salary packages, and considered how this decision will impact your team, you’re mentally drained. And that’s just one decision in your day.

What if you're under fire and must make multiple decisions every day?

But what about those who don’t get the luxury of “taking it easy” after a tough choice? Look at those judges again. They’re grinding through heavy decisions all day, with no breaks, and no time to recharge. Each case could change lives, but that constant pressure leads to autopilot decision-making.

Doctors face the same grind. In the OR, a surgeon who’s been in there for hours is far more likely to make a mistake. Each procedure demands critical thinking: the right instruments, evaluating patient vitals, and adapting strategies. Fatigue can turn life-and-death decisions into risky gambles.

In the business world, consider a CEO during a merger. They’re making high-stakes decisions—negotiating contracts, reshaping teams, and crafting future strategy. If they burn out, the company’s culture and bottom line are at risk. Jeff Bezos famously tackled this by standardizing meeting routines, keeping his mental energy focused on the big picture.

And on the personal side, think about a parent balancing work and kids’ schedules. After a long day, they might default to takeout for dinner, losing out on healthier options. This decision fatigue can spiral, affecting everything from homework help to personal goals.

So how do we avoid burning out? How do we stop ourselves from hitting that wall of mental exhaustion?

Here’s the deal: make fewer decisions. Sounds obvious, right? But it works. Spread your to-do list over a couple of days. Take some of the small, routine choices off your plate. Hell, even Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day to save brainpower.

Another trick? Ask yourself what you’d tell someone else to do. It's way easier to give advice than to take it, especially when it’s your own situation. So pretend the decision isn’t yours, then see what advice you’d give a friend.

And lastly—not everything is life or death. Chill out about the little stuff, save your brainpower for the choices that really matter. You can’t control everything, so focus on what you can.

Summary of Key Points:

• Decision fatigue happens when our mental energy is drained by too many decisions, leading to poor choices.
• Big decisions—like hiring a key employee—can quickly drain your mental energy, leaving you burnt out.
• Spread out decisions over days to reduce fatigue.
• Delegate smaller choices or automate routine ones to conserve mental energy.
• Pretend you’re giving advice to someone else to get more clarity on tough decisions.
• Focus on the big stuff and relax about the small things to preserve your brainpower for what really matters.