What Decision Fatigue Calculates
Willpower = 100 minus Σ(decisions × weight). Trivial ×1, moderate ×5, heavy ×10.
Decision Fatigue answers one question: how much willpower is left and when should you stop deciding?
Willpower is finite and shared across every decision. Trivial choices drain the same reservoir as heavy ones. When the battery dips below 20% you stop deciding and start defaulting — usually badly. Current reserve reads
willpower = 100 − Σ(count × weight) weight: trivial=1, moderate=5, heavy=10
- Count every decision since waking. Trivial, moderate, heavy — no rounding down.
- Apply weights. Sum. Subtract from 100.
- Above 75% → make the hardest call now. Window closes fast.
- 15-75% → defer heavy calls. Batch trivial choices.
- Below 15% → stop deciding. Battery reads
battery unmeasured .
Quick answer
Decision Fatigue answers one question: how much willpower is left and when should you stop deciding?
▸ Key Specs
- ▸ Formula: willpower = 100 − Σ(count × weight). Trivial ×1, moderate ×5, heavy ×10.
- ▸ Above 75% = full charge. Make the hardest decisions here.
- ▸ 15-45% = low reserve. Defer heavy calls; batch trivial ones. Current reading
battery unmeasured . - ▸ Below 15% = depleted. You will default to the easiest option, which is usually the worst one.
- ▸ Glucose, sleep, and time off-task restore the battery. Pushing through does not.
▸ Worked Examples
- 10 trivial, 4 moderate, 1 heavyDrain = 10+20+10 = 40. Willpower = 60 → drawing down. Avoid stacking more heavy calls.
- 20 trivial, 8 moderate, 2 heavyDrain = 20+40+20 = 80. Willpower = 20 → low reserve. Live reading
battery unmeasured — you are in decision debt. - 5 trivial, 0 moderate, 0 heavyDrain = 5. Willpower = 95 → full charge. This is the window for the day's hardest call.
When to use which tool
- CYAN · STABLE — Willpower above 75% — full charge; make the hardest decisions here.
- GOLD · GUARDED — Willpower 15-75% — low reserve; defer heavy calls, batch trivial ones.
- MAGENTA · CRITICAL — Willpower under 15% — depleted; you will default badly, postpone or delegate.
Related
- Decision Fatigue · Willpower BatteryModel remaining willpower across the day. Every decision draws from the same finite reserve — trivial × 1, moderate × 5, heavy × 10.
- When to Check WillpowerFive moments when knowing your battery level changes the next move.
- Five Decision-Fatigue MistakesThe errors that make your battery look fuller than it is.
- What Focus Horizon CalculatesQuality = 100 × e^(−0.01 × min). Half-life ~69 minutes. The tail is where the bugs live.
Frequently asked questions
› Is decision fatigue real? Trust & accuracy
The underlying ego-depletion model has been challenged by replication failures. The practical pattern — late-day choices get worse — is well-supported. Treat this as a useful heuristic, not settled neuroscience.
› How do I restore willpower? How-to
Glucose, sleep, and time off-task. A nap, a meal, or a walk will recover more than "pushing through" ever will.
› What classifies as heavy vs moderate vs trivial? Comparison
Trivial = reversible, low-stakes, fast (what to eat, what to wear). Moderate = reversible but costly if wrong (which meeting to attend, what to say in an email). Heavy = hard to reverse or high-stakes (strategy calls, hiring, firing, big purchases).
› How should I use a decision framework in real life? How-to
Use a decision framework to expose the tradeoff, not to outsource the decision. Write down the inputs, compare the output with your constraints, then ask what would change the answer. The strongest use is scenario testing: base case, conservative case, and failure case.
› Is this financial, legal, or tax advice? Trust & accuracy
No, this is not legal, financial, tax, medical, or professional advice unless the page explicitly says that use case is supported. It organizes assumptions so you can inspect them. Verify high-stakes choices with qualified people who can review facts, contracts, regulations, and downside risk.