Decision fatigue is well documented. Our capacity to make choices is smaller than most people realize.

Being mindful of unnecessary choices preserves our capacity for larger decisions.

Eliminating smaller, unimportant choices is the easiest and most effective way to preserve energy.

As an organizational psychologist, I'm usually helping leaders think about how to solve complex issues, drive large organizations, and lead big teams in a global setting. These are usually highly competent people who can manage difficult, fast-paced situations regularly and effectively. But lately, a lot of them have been wrong about their biggest challenge. They say, in various ways, things are too complex, the decisions are too multi-faceted, they need more tools, they need more people. And often, well, they’re wrong. They need less, not more.

Most people misidentify complexity as draining. But choice is more exhausting.

Decision fatigue is a well-documented concept. One study said the average American adult makes 35,000 decisions in a day. When leaders of companies—who have more decisions on their plate than average—struggle to make decisions, they think there's something complex about the subject matter itself. The instinct is totally rational. But that isn’t how the brain works, and it’s the reason the complexity argument gets shoved in front of the real issue.

Set up your pre-work routine. Goal: Zero decisions.

Stories about President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg (and Bill Gates before them) only wearing two suits are well documented. That sounds silly........

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