Should I answer this instant message?
Do I need to prepare for my first meeting?
How should I respond to this email?
Should I try to find Joan in person, call her, or write back to her email?
Do I have anything to bring up at our team meeting?
Should I say this thought right now?
Do I agree or disagree with that point?
Should I say this thought right now?
Do I agree or disagree with that point?
Do I have time for a quick break before my next meeting?
Should I check email now?
Should I respond to this email?
How should I respond to this email?
How should I respond to this email?
Should I check voicemail now?
Do I feel like a snack?
What do I feel like eating?
Should I get a bowl of yogurt, order a breakfast sandwich, or get a chocolate milk?
Do I want to add granola, berries, or flaxseed to this yogurt?
Are the credit card points worth paying with credit for this?
Do I need napkins?
Should I go talk to Todd sitting by the window?
Which route should I take back up if I want to chat with Joan?
What should I say to her about the meeting?
Do I agree or disagree with Jamie’s plan?
What should I propose as a next step?
Should I check email now?
Should I stop at the bathroom or head to my desk?
Should I check email now?
Should I attend the total company meeting?
Should I see if anybody wants to sit together?
Should I sit at the front or the back?
Should I check my email?
Should I respond to this email now?
Do I need to do anything to prepare for my next meeting?
What’s my proposal going to be in this next meeting?
Should I check email now?
How should I spend the two hours I have open after this next meeting?
Should I walk around the building and visit my client groups?
Should I check email now?
Which way should I go?
Should I check email now?
What’s the best answer to that question?
Should I check email now?
Should I tell Mark about the feedback from his team?
How should I tell him?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
How should I spend the next hour and a half?
Should I check email now?
Should I do this or that?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I respond to this email?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I check email now?
Should I get lunch from the cafeteria or go out for lunch?
Should I see if anyone wants to get lunch together or just go myself?
Should I check email now?
Do I want a turkey sandwich, roast beef sandwich, ham sandwich, egg salad sandwich, tuna salad sandwich, or cheese sandwich?
Do I want it on brown bread, white bread, multigrain bread, rye bread, olive bread, or in a pita?
Do I want it toasted?
Do I want mayo?
Do I want mustard?
Do I want tomatoes?
Do I want onions?
Do I want pickles?
Do I want lettuce?
Do I want cheese?
Do I want extra meat or is this enough?
Do I want salt and pepper?
Do I want it to go or for here?
Do I want anything else with this?
Do I want soup?
Do I want beef barley or split pea?
Do I want to get in the left line or the right line?
Should I check email now?
Do I want to pay with cash, credit, or debit?
Do I need any utensils?
Should I take plastic utensils or metal utensils?
How many napkins should I take?
Where should I eat?
Should I check email now?
Should I email Leslie now?
What should we have for dinner tonight?
Do we have chicken or fish in the freezer, or would takeout be easier?
Do I need anything to prepare for my next meeting?
Should I ask what the agenda is for this meeting?
Should I say something, since I disagree with that point?
Should I say something, since I disagree with that point?
Should I try to summarize the meeting and get everyone aligned on next steps?
Should I go back to my desk or talk to Ashley about the meeting?
Should I check email now?
Should I check voicemail now?
How should I spend the next three hours?
What time should I try to leave work today to meet Leslie for dinner?
Should I check email now?
How should I respond to this email?
Should I ask my boss for guidance on this email?
Should I go talk to Sean face-to-face instead?
What should we do tonight?
Should we try to visit my parents this weekend?
Should we try to visit Leslie’s parents this weekend?
Should we try to visit my sister this weekend?
What should I have for a snack?
Should I have almonds from my desk or buy something from the cafeteria?
Should I have cheese, carrot sticks, or a chocolate milk?
Should I pay with cash or credit card?
Do I need to take napkins up to my desk?
Which way should I walk back so I can talk to Mark?
Should I check email now?
Should I work on the change project or spend the rest of the day answering emails?
Should I work on the change project at my desk or book a room?
When should we make the promotion announcement?
How should we word the announcement?
Should I mention her education?
Do I need to send the announcement to anyone for approval?
Do I need to get anything done before going home?
Do I need to do any work tonight for any meetings tomorrow?
Do I need to take my laptop home tonight for anything else?
Do I need to talk to Amanda before I leave?
Is there any paperwork I need to finish with Tanya before I leave?
Which route should I take home?
Should I listen to the radio to check the traffic report?
Should I call my parents from the car?
Should I see if they’re free this weekend or next?
Should I stay on the highway or take the side streets?
Should I turn left at Bathurst or continue to Spadina?
Do I have time to stop at the post office to check my PO Box?
What do I need to get done tonight before bed?
What time should we try to go to sleep?
What kind of salad can I make?
Should I set the table with candles and place mats or should we eat casually on the counter?
What should we talk about over dinner?
How can I support her through that situation?
What ideas for the weekend should I propose?
Who should do the dishes and who should clean up the kitchen?
Should I check email now?
Should I see if Leslie wants to go for a walk or go to yoga after dinner?
Do I have time to write?
Should I write at home or at a coffee shop?
Should I check email now?
Should I stay up a bit later to read?
What time should I set my alarm for in the morning?
Do I plan to go to the gym?
What meetings do I have tomorrow that I need to think about?
285 reasons why you’re tired right now
What a day!
In total I made 285 decisions. Exhausting. What were they about? I’m embarrassed to admit I made 75 decisions at the gym, 62 decisions about checking email, and 32 decisions about food.
These three topics alone were half of all my daily decisions, yet they were things that didn’t really matter. Sure, it’s great to go to the gym. But there’s no reason I couldn’t studiously follow a written workout. Sure, part of my job is being responsive. But I would still be responsive if I checked email twice a day in fifteen-minute windows instead of as “brain padding” whenever I found a spare minute. And I love food. I never want to skip meals. I never want to eat at my desk. But a preset shake every morning with dinner leftovers every lunch would give me food I love and save thirty-two decisions.