Decisions.  Decisions. We make thousands every day. Of course most of them are not noticeable to us because they aren't all that consequential, but some of them can have a huge impact, right? Thanks to advances in technology, researchers are beginning to unravel the mysterious processes by which we humans make decisions. New research is helping scientists develop a deeper understanding of how the human brain reasons, plans and solves problems. Why do we care? Because, unlike my father used to say when I did something he thought was stupid and I'd explain it by starting my sentence with "Well, I thought..." and he'd respond, "You don't get paid to think," most of us do get paid to think.  Most of you probably get paid more to think than you do to "do."

Depending what stats you read, as our populous ages, baby boomers now represent 25% - 35% of the American adult population. Science has really amped up understanding the brain. After all, it's a pretty important organ and it's highly prone to aging. Our brains appear wired in ways that enable us, often unconsciously, to make the best decisions possible with the information we're given. In some ways, the process is organized like a court trial. Sights, sounds, and other sensory evidences are entered and registered in sensory circuits in the brain while other brain cells act as the "jury," compiling and weighing each piece of evidence. When the accumulated evidence reaches a critical threshold, a judgment - a decision is made.

So why is it that we sometimes have so much trouble making a decision? I don't want to give you an excuse, but consider this. You might have decision fatigue. There's a school of thought out there today that says we are running low on mental energy because we have to make so many decisions. There are even studies that show that our willpower to refrain from making the right or best decisions is clearly lower if we've been in situations where we've had to make too many decisions, even though they may be mundane. Yep, I'm not talking about decisions being harder after a strenuous day of making tough or thoughtful decisions. I'm talking about the decision fatigue that causes you to reach for the candy they put at the checkout line. It's definitely there because you're a bit fatigued from all the decisions you just had to make about what cereal or hair product you wanted. You feel the need to have a treat or a little sugar to energize you.

Here's what we know.  It's vital that you know your own "clock" - be cognizant of when you feel more fatigued. It's also really important to know the clocks of those around you. It'll make for much better communication and results. The research that's being put into understanding our brains is going to become more extensive. There's a lot to learn and the aging baby boomers are driving the research because they don't accept that they have to get old. And while "seamless" decisions might look like a good thing, they actually fatigue the brain without you realizing it, so it's better if you can limit them. Unlike what my father used to say, "You do get paid to think," so make sure that big muscle of a brain you have is in the best shape it can be.

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