Latest news with #decisionfatigue
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
4 lessons my trucking customers taught me about high-pressure decision making
The Fast Company Executive Board is a private, fee-based network of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. BY We've all faced that moment—a dozen eyes fixed on us, waiting for direction. The pressure builds, time ticks, and yet … we freeze. The weight of making the right decision in that instant feels crushing. For many of us, decision fatigue creeps in quietly through the chaos of everyday life—work, family, a hundred micro-choices a day. What's for dinner? Which summer camp? It's why Steve Jobs wore the same outfit daily: to preserve mental energy for decisions that really mattered. But for my customers, drayage trucking companies, decision fatigue isn't just an occasional burden—it's the job. They operate in one of the most intense, unpredictable, high-stakes environments in logistics. Hauling containers in and out of ports isn't a straightforward task. It's a battle against the clock, the port schedule, traffic snarls, broken chassis, gate delays, and surprise cancellations. And when things go sideways—which they often do—dispatchers and drivers don't have the luxury to freeze. They make calls in real time, under pressure, with limited information, and move on. As a tech leader working closely with these frontline problem-solvers, I've learned a great deal about making smart, fast decisions when the margin for error is razor-thin. Here are four lessons I've picked up from drayage pros about decision-making in high-pressure environments and how you can apply them when the heat is on. 1. GOOD DECISION-MAKING STARTS WITH VISIBILITY Visibility and real-time data have been big topics in the supply chain world. We have more information at our fingertips today than we've ever had before, thanks to technology, GPS, transportation management systems, and so much more. Drayage trucking companies that have implemented modern technology can have full visibility into where their trucks are, when containers are arriving, and how long the line is at the port. With abundant and visible data, the key is to interpret that data correctly and make decisions based on the information at hand. My advice: Gather as much relevant information as you can to make smart decisions. Even better if you can use AI to make recommendations based on that data. 2. EVERY DECISION HAS TRADEOFFS One key thing I've learned from my customers is that there's no perfect decision, and no matter what you decide, there may be tradeoffs. Let's say a road is closed on the way from the port to the retailer's warehouse. A drayage leader may decide to route the truck around the long way. The upside of that decision: The freight still gets to the warehouse the same day, and the customer is probably happy. The downside: more miles and more time for the truck driver. In the end, drayage firms don't have the luxury to endlessly deliberate and wait for new information. They have to make a call in real time. In the tech world, a decision to scale with AI might increase productivity. But does it impact employee engagement and the authenticity employees have with customers? These are the kinds of decisions we grapple with as executives. Not everyone will love your decision, and that's the reality of leadership. 3. TAP INTO THE VALUE OF SCENARIO PLANNING There's never a dull day in logistics. Something could break down or be delayed at any link in the supply chain. By having back-up plans or buffers, my drayage customers are able to respond quickly and pivot when things go wrong. In the supply chain, this is often called scenario planning. What could happen, and what's the likelihood? Are we prepared if plan B, C, or D occurs? Answering those questions proactively can help us all make decisions and adjustments when the time comes, because we'll have the resources and contingencies in place. 4. STICK TO YOUR GOALS, EVEN AMID THE CHAOS Drayage companies are some of the most mission-focused businesses I've encountered. They have a clear imperative: Deliver goods safely, accurately, and on time, and, above all, make their customers happy. Through all the volatility of the supply chain, they remain laser-focused on their goals, and that helps form the foundation of their decisions. I've begun to do the same in my own decision-making. One of PortPro's big goals is to help our customers deliver exceptional service to their customers through tech tools that offer transparency and efficiency. Every time I feel overwhelmed by a decision, I think about this mission and make a decision based on what best serves our company's purpose—what helps our customers, and what, in turn, helps their customers. Through the years, in my own experience and from my customers, I've learned that the worst decision is to not to make one. I'm a big believer in making decisions fast, but with the right data points. After you make a decision, follow through, see what's working and what's not, and respond even faster. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS By recognizing information shortfalls, anticipating potential roadblocks, having backup plans ready to go, and always keeping your company's mission in mind, you can quickly and confidently make decisions even in high-pressure situations. Trust your instincts, and don't be afraid to make a call. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is this Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Fast Company
20-06-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
6 smart ways to minimize decision fatigue before noon
Ever find yourself mentally drained before lunch—even when the day's barely begun? That's not laziness. It's decision fatigue, and it's very real. From the moment you wake up, your brain starts spending mental energy to make choices: what to wear, what to eat, how to respond to emails, whether to speak up in a meeting, and more. Over time, each of these micro-decisions chips away at your cognitive bandwidth—until you're running on fumes by 11 a.m. According to research, decision fatigue can lead to worse choices later in the day, decreased self-control, and even unethical behavior. But the good news is that with the proper structure, you can drastically reduce mental overload—and set your day up for success. Here are six science-backed strategies to minimize decision fatigue and boost clarity before noon. 1. Start with Structure: Automate the First 60 Minutes Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg adopted similar wardrobe habits for the same reason—they didn't want to waste energy deciding what to wear. Routine isn't boring. It's strategic. Automating low-stakes decisions (like your breakfast, your clothes, or your workout routine) preserves your cognitive energy for high-impact choices later. The first hour of your day sets the tone for everything that follows. Reducing friction early creates momentum and decision clarity that lasts all day. This also lowers stress hormones and boosts your motivation. What to do: Create a fixed morning routine: same wake-up time, same breakfast, same prep ritual. Build a 'startup sequence' for your workday—like firing up your laptop, reviewing your goals, and taking 15 minutes of quiet thinking before meetings. 2. Make Your To-Do List the Night Before When you start your day by scanning emails or Slack, you instantly go into reactive mode, focusing on others' priorities. Instead, make key planning decisions while your brain is fresh—at the end of the previous day. This helps you sleep better by offloading mental clutter; it also boosts your confidence and sense of direction in the morning. A prepared mind is a focused mind. What to do: Write down your top three priorities before you shut down for the day. Review them first thing the next morning—no thinking required. Bonus: Include one 'quick win' task to build early momentum. 3. Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast (Yes, Really) Your brain is 2% of your body weight, but uses over 20% of your energy. Without fuel, cognitive function declines—and decision-making suffers. Skipping breakfast or grabbing only carbs causes blood sugar crashes, reducing your focus and increasing your irritability. A balanced breakfast stabilizes glucose levels, essential for maintaining consistent attention and emotional regulation throughout the day. What you eat influences how you think. A nutritious morning meal primes your brain for clarity, patience, and problem-solving. What to do: Opt for protein and complex carbs, like eggs, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or nuts. Hydrate before having caffeine: even mild dehydration can impair concentration by 10%. Add brain-boosting extras like berries, chia seeds, or greens for sustained energy. 4. Use Time Blocks to Limit Options You spend mental energy whenever you ask, 'What should I do now?' The more options, the more exhaustion. Instead, create time blocks—predefined periods for specific categories of work. This removes the burden of constant micro-decisions and helps your brain shift into the correct mode for the task. Time blocking also reduces context switching, which studies show can cost up to 40% of your productive time. Block 9:00–10:30 for deep work. Block 10:30–11:30 for admin or meetings. Leave reactive tasks (email, chat) for the afternoon. Color-code blocks on your calendar to visually reinforce focus zones. This structure reduces ambiguity and decision points, preserving mental clarity for higher-order thinking. 5. Minimize Micro-Decisions with Environmental Cues From desk clutter to notification dings, your environment constantly pulls you into unnecessary decision-making—like 'Should I check this now?' or 'What's that ping?' Decision fatigue increases when external stimuli demand constant evaluation. Each small choice drains mental energy and pulls your attention away from meaningful work. Design your environment to be your silent partner in focus. When your workspace supports your intentions, you make fewer decisions and stay in the flow longer. What to do: Silence nonurgent notifications. Clear your desk of all but the task at hand. Use physical cues: Post-it notes, open notebooks, or visible to-do lists to keep you anchored. Add a visual 'focus zone' marker—like a lamp or headphones—to signal deep work time. This aligns with behavioral design principles championed by Nudge author Richard Thaler: simplify the environment to reduce cognitive load. 6. Build a 'Noon Reset' Ritual No matter how optimized your morning is, decision fatigue creeps in. That's why resetting before the afternoon is critical—when poor choices tend to spike. By midday, your mental resources are often depleted, and without a conscious reset, your afternoon can become reactive and unfocused. A pause helps restore clarity and regain control of your time and energy. It also boosts emotional regulation and decision-making accuracy. What to do: Pause at noon for 10 minutes of reflection or silence. Ask: 'What's one thing I need to finish today?' Reset your attention and reclaim your day before it runs you. Try stepping outside or doing a short breathing exercise to refresh your mind. According to research, this taps into the brain's default mode network, which activates during rest and enhances creativity and problem-solving. Save Your Brain for What Matters Most You don't need to eliminate all decisions—just the ones that drain you unnecessarily. The goal isn't rigid control over every moment, but the intentional design of your mental environment. By front-loading important choices, using structure to reduce friction, and giving your brain regular rest, you free up the cognitive bandwidth to lead, create, and perform at your best. Cognitive energy is your most valuable asset as a leader. Protect it with as much care as your time or money. Remember: your attention is a finite resource. Spend it where it counts—on work that aligns with your values, energizes your team, and moves your mission forward.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Clutter Causes Overspending And What To Do About It
Clutter leads to overspending. You're not overspending because of your budget, you're overspending because of your clutter. Look around, all the stuff used to be money. Clutter isn't just a home organization problem; it is a financial issue that overwhelms families trying to stick to a budget. Disorganization leads to overspending. Buying a duplicate with 2-day shipping is easier when you can't find something, but it perpetuates the problem. Decision fatigue is real, and a cluttered home means spending more money on dining out, takeout, and convenience purchases. Bottom line, clutter is the source of overspending. You'll never need to organize something you did not buy. Removing things from your home and reducing what comes in work together to create more organization and save money. Decluttering feels lighter and freer. It shifts your spending habits to not just buying less but a desire to own less too. Here are three habits that will have an immediate impact on your budget and organize your home at the same time. Adopt a 'use what you have' mentality. This is especially helpful with consumable items. Cook only from your existing inventory. Look up ingredient substitutions, you will find one. Observe how in as little as a week, the fridge, freezer, and pantry become emptier and easier to organize by using up inventory. And just when you think there are no more meals in the house, try again. Get creative and you'll find another one. If you find yourself buying a specific item often or shopping in a certain store or website, resolve to not buy for at least six months. Use your bank's online tools to review your purchases and see the potential savings by category and by store. Delete shopping apps from your phone. Disconnect your credit card from websites. And tell a friend who can be your accountability partner when you're tempted to shop. Let's normalize believing we do not have to own everything, and it does not have to be new to us. The next time you consider buying, ask yourself the following questions. Let buying be your last resort. Gaining control of your home and your budget is freeing. It eliminates the guilt you feel about rebuying things you know you already own. It's easy to feel embarrassed and even ashamed about your financial situation and the state of your home. But you can gain confidence in how you spend and save your money by adopting these habits. Not to mention, the organized and peaceful home it creates. Remember, when you reduce the volume, spaces have a way of organizing themselves. Your home is living space, not storage space. View it as a representation of your financial decisions. Not just overspending, but what you can do differently going forward to own less and live more.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The ‘Buy Now, Pay Later' Trap, Explained By A Psychologist
Decision fatigue can make you impulsive. "Buy Now, Pay Later" can make you broke. Here's the ... More psychology behind the most seductive shopping trap. Long before Klarna, Zilch and Afterpay attracted consumers with their 'Buy Now, Pay Later,' schemes, department-store chains like Kmart had their own version of delayed gratification. For a small fee, customers could reserve an item, make payments over time and only take it home once it was fully paid off. But it required patience. Then came credit cards, which flipped the model: take it now, pay later. But this was regulated, and not everyone had access to a credit card by default. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes are not regulated and are a hybrid of both. They preserve the illusion of financial caution, like layaways once did, while delivering the joy of instant ownership. Because there's no need for a credit score, no official approval process and no institutional guardrails, even those still navigating early financial independence are being nudged into debt with a single tap. And if that wasn't enough, sellers are using one of the oldest psychological tricks in the book to ensure you default to BNPL: They're counting on you being too cognitively overloaded to think. There's a reason the phrase 'no-brainer' cuts both ways in this case. On the one hand, BNPL offers are, in theory, smart financial tools. Debt isn't inherently a bad thing. When used well, it can free up liquidity, which allows you to invest your money elsewhere while paying off a purchase in manageable chunks. In that sense, spreading out payments might feel like a savvy move. Most houses are bought on credit, because debt can be a strategic lever when matched with stable income and long-term planning. But a house appreciates. When we look at what's actually being financed, it becomes clear that the pattern is more impulsive, more reactive and far less considered. Nearly half of all BNPL purchases are clothing and fashion, according to data from Numerator. The average user decides to go the BNPL route because they can't afford the item outright. And the platforms know this. By the time most shoppers arrive at the checkout screen, they've already made dozens of micro-decisions — what brand, what size, what color, which seller and what shipping option. The sheer volume of information processed along the way quietly wears the brain down. It's called cognitive load, and psychological research shows that it drains your decision-making energy. A 2024 conference paper that focused specifically on this type of overload found that too much information on a page affects visual attention and decision quality. In this state, guiding the shopper toward a default path, like a Buy Now, Pay Later option highlighted by the seller, becomes easy and effective. BNPL blurs the line between affordability and accessibility. The moment a consumer can't pay on time, late fees stack up. And in most cases, BNPL platforms don't report timely payments to credit bureaus, meaning you don't build credit — but if your debt gets sent to collections, your score can tank. What starts as a convenience can quietly morph into a liability. A LendingTree survey found that 41% of BNPL users reported paying late in the past year, up from 34% the year before. Many of them weren't behind by more than a week — but repeat use and overlapping loans compound risk. Nearly a quarter of users said they'd had three or more BNPL loans active at once. Even more concerning is the shift in what's being financed. One in four BNPL users now say they've used it to buy groceries. And partnership between platforms — like Klarna and DoorDash, for instance — is making it easier to finance takeout. Debt is no longer tied to long-term assets or life upgrades. It's being used to delay the pain of day-to-day spending — a strategy that may feel necessary now but often backfires later. Most people think dopamine is the brain's pleasure chemical, but that's an oversimplification. Neuroscientists have long known that dopamine is more tied to anticipation than satisfaction. The surge hits when the possibility of reward seems real. That's why window shopping feels so good. That's also why scrolling through endless product pages late at night feels oddly energizing. Buy Now, Pay Later lowers the barrier between that dopamine spike and action. You don't need to earn the purchase, budget for it or sit with the desire. You just click 'Pay Later,' and the reward loop closes — fast. So, if you're trying to regain control, start by breaking that loop. Recognize that the emotional high is frontloaded, not backloaded. Wait 24 to 48 hours before buying anything that triggers a surge of want. You'll be surprised how often the urge fades, once dopamine exits the scene. And if you are tempted by the option to finance takeout, ask yourself if you'd still like to be paying for a burrito and a side of chips you had three weeks ago. Are you falling for the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' trap? Take the Financial Management Behavior Scale to find out if your financial management needs work.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Indecisive? 3 Science-Backed Steps To Make Good Choices FAST
Why are so many of us indecisive and what are the three steps for making good choices FAST? Learn ... More the answers to these questions and more. On average the adult human mind makes 33,000 to 35,000 total decisions each day, according to various sources. Many of these decisions are when the mind is on autopilot based on information it has stored about what works and what doesn't. But there's a point at which your mind on autopilot no longer works because the fried brain—unable to make more than 35,000 individual decisions—short circuits, decision-making goes offline and you are indecisive. When you make decisions after working days on end, your fatigued brain makes choices different from the ones you'd make after your brain has a rest period. Why? Scientists have discovered a phenomenon known as decision fatigue—which is what happens when your brain is worn out and depleted of mental energy. Decision fatigue impairs mental clarity and is why many wage earners have little mental energy left over for activities outside of work. After hours of nonstop working, your brain can suffer from cognitive overload, compassion fatigue and burnout. The longer you work and the more choices you make in those extended work hours, the more difficult it is for your strained mind to make sound decisions. And the harder it is to make choices like what to wear, where to eat, how much to spend or how to prioritize work projects. Mind fatigue can lead to shortcuts such as not thoroughly proofing an important email or opting out of decision-making with your team. And it can cause you to be short with colleagues, eat junk food instead of healthy meals and forego exercise. And in some cases even life-or-death issues such as permitting your newly-licensed teenager to drive the car on an icy road at night. Some of us have to make so many decisions in the workday that after a while we suffer from decision fatigue, but some experts assert that indecisiveness can be traced to childhood. "Being indecisive when it comes to major life and career choices can lead to avoidance, and that's when you get into trouble," says clinical psychologist Dr. Helen McKibben, author of Drop: Making Great Decisions. According to McKibben, the stage is set for our decisive--or indecisive--nature in the first five years of brain development. "When a child expresses a feeling, reads a situation a certain way or shares an idea of something they would like to do, how their parent or caretaker responds to them over time creates a neuron track in the brain that follows them into adulthood. When a child's feelings and ideas are supported and reinforced, the neuron track leads to trusting their instincts, feelings and choices throughout life. McKibben cautions that if they're dismissed, minimized or controlled, the child walks away second-guessing themselves. 'That neuron track creates a habit of looking to others for validation and doing what they say instead of trusting themselves,' she explains. "An example of some things not to say in response to a child would be "'Oh, you don't feel that way,' or 'If you do it my way, it will be better.'' If someone else was making choices for you, like 'helicoptor parents' do, always saying you're wrong or helps you do everything as a child, she points out that you may be in the habit of reading others for their reactions or thoughts. 'That neuron track leads you straight to indecisiveness. The good news is that you can rewire that track to erase self-doubt and trust your instincts.' That's where the "Drop" technique comes in to create a new neuron configuration on the old neuron track, McKibben says, adding that the key is to listen to the brain the way it was designed to work, which uses memory recall when making decisions. When faced with a situation or person, the brain's job is to configure how you feel in the moment and automatically retrieves memories of every time you felt that way. This memory recall then prompts you with words and ideas to help you make a choice in your best interest. 'You become decisive once you trust what your brain puts together for you,' McKibben insists. 'If people don't listen to those instincts, they are up in their heads trying to decide themselves. That's when they are reading other people for guidance. They are indecisive and don't present confidently.' She asks if you've ever walked away from a situation thinking, 'Why didn't I listen to myself? I KNEW this was going to happen?' When presented with a choice, she says your brain automatically compiled words and ideas for you to use in making that choice, but you didn't trust yourself enough. I was curious about how long it takes to become more confident in our decisions. McKibben explained by email that using the "Drop" technique over time will help us replace the old neuron track of self-doubt with the new neuron track of confidence. 'It takes just weeks of practice to reinforce the new configuration on an old neuron track,' she assures us. 'It's like a golfer who gets a new coach that changes their swing. They don't just forget the old swing, they practice and practice until the new swing becomes natural and the old swing is gone.' McKibben shares her proven three-step method to make better decisions by engaging your brain the way it's naturally designed to work: Stop, Drop and Listen. McKibben suggests that the antidote to being indecisive is not to second-guess what you hear. This takes practice, especially if you grew up in an environment where someone was making choices for you, always said you were wrong or helped you do everything. Your brain adapts to your words or ideas which will replace the tendency to look to others for guidance and second guessing yourself," McKibben concludes.
