decision fatigue

Why vague commitments exhaust us

You don’t feel overwhelmed because you have too much to do.

You feel overwhelmed because you have too many undecided next actions.

“Sort out the website.”
“Fix the HR pages.”
“Get fitter.”
“Deal with finances.”

None of these are actions. They are clouds.

Your brain cannot execute a cloud. So it keeps it open. It loops. It chews on it in the background. That cognitive load is exhausting.

Most productivity advice treats capture like a filing exercise. Get ideas out of your head, put them somewhere ‘safe’, then sort them later.

That is useful, but it misses what is actually happening inside you.

Capture works because it externalises anxiety, not information.