Decision Fatigue: Why Your Best Decisions Don't Happen at 4 PM

A Toronto entrepreneur just made a $12,000 hiring mistake—not because she lacked experience, but because she made the decision at 4 PM after already burning through her mental energy on dozens of smaller choices throughout the day.

This is decision fatigue, and it's costing Canadian business owners far more than money.

Your brain has a finite amount of decision-making energy. Every choice you make—from what to eat for breakfast to whether to approve a budget—drains that battery a little more. By mid-afternoon, you're running on empty, but that's exactly when the big, important decisions usually arrive.

Research proves this isn't just in your head. A famous study found that judges granted parole to prisoners 70% of the time in the morning, but less than 10% in the afternoon. Same judges, same cases—the only difference was decision fatigue.

In this episode, Chris Cooper explores what decision fatigue is, why it matters for Canadian entrepreneurs, and how to train yourself like a mental athlete to make better decisions when they matter most. You'll learn six practical strategies for preserving your decision-making energy and discover how non-negotiable habits can eliminate dozens of daily choices.

According to a 2025 BDC survey, 36% of Canadian business owners report that mental health challenges interfere with their work at least once weekly. For entrepreneurs under 40, that number jumps to 60%.

Your Golden Hour task: Track every decision you make this week. You can't fix what you can't see.

This episode sets up the next discussion on Daily Non-Negotiables and the Golden Hour system.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/