For one day, I ran an experiment. I decided to meticulously track every single choice I made. From hitting snooze (once, twice, a tactical error), to what socks to wear (black, lol, a surprisingly complex mini-dilemma), to which email to answer first (the screaming red urgent one, naturally). By midday, picking a snack felt like solving quantum physics. My brain, once a nimble decision making machine, had downshifted into something resembling lukewarm oatmeal. My thinking wasn’t just slower, it was poorer. I snapped at a colleague over a triviality, then stared blankly at a project, all my creative sparks extinguished.
It was a stark reminder. Our willpower, that incredible force allowing us to choose, to focus, to resist temptation, isn’t an infinite wellspring. It’s more like a decision budget, a daily allowance of cognitive energy. Each choice, no matter how small, makes a withdrawal. Scientists call this “ego depletion” or “decision fatigue.” It’s real. Studies show that after making a series of choices, our self control weakens, our ability to think logically deteriorates, and we’re more likely to opt for the easiest, often worst, option.
When my decision budget runs low, I become a terrible version of myself. My normally okay judgment takes a nosedive. I find myself endlessly scrolling, avoiding any task that requires actual thought. Important decisions get postponed, or worse, rushed through with a carelessness that almost guarantees a subpar outcome. The world feels overwhelming, each potential choice another heavy weight.
This is where I circle back to a mantra found in many sources, that even a wrong decision is often better than no decision at all. When the mental tank is truly nearing empty, and paralysis sets in, making any move, even a flawed one, can be a lifeline. It breaks the inertia. Crucially, it provides feedback. It’s choosing action over the slow drain of indecisive torment, which, ironically, consumes even more of that precious, dwindling willpower. Understanding my decision budget doesn’t mean I always spend it wisely. But recognizing the signs of depletion helps me be kinder to myself when I’m running on empty, and reminds me to sometimes just pick a path, any path, to keep moving forward, even if it’s just to conserve energy for the truly big choices tomorrow.
What are the tell-tale signs for you when your own decision budget is running low? And what’s one small decision you could simplify or automate this week to conserve some of that vital cognitive energy?
