Glossary

Decision fatigue

Decision fatigue is the idea that making many decisions in a row wears down the quality of the ones that follow. It is a popular explanation for why choices feel harder late in the day. The research behind it is contested.

The evidence, on both sides

A widely cited study of parole hearings found that favourable rulings fell over the course of each session and recovered after the judges’ food breaks (Danziger and colleagues). Other researchers replied that the order in which cases were heard could explain much of that pattern (Weinshall-Margel and Shapard).

The theory behind the idea, that self-control draws on a limited resource that runs down with use, fared worse. A preregistered replication run across 23 laboratories found an effect close to zero (Hagger and colleagues). So the feeling is real for many people, and the mechanism is unsettled.

Deciding less, whatever the cause

Fewer decisions make a day simpler whether or not a resource runs out. People settle recurring choices once, with routines and templates for meals, work hours and weekly reviews. They make tomorrow’s first decision today, so the morning starts with an answer. And they use defaults, so the question only comes up when something has changed.

How Flowo handles this

Flowo’s routine scheduling follows fixed rules. You set the tasks, their durations, your events and the sleep, meals and rest you want, and Flowo proposes an order and a time for each task, so you are not choosing every slot yourself. You can change any block. Read how the planner decides.

Sources