41. Why High Performers Make Their Worst Decisions Under Pressure

Tennis might look like a physical game — but what if the real battle is in your brain? 🎾🧠In this episode of Decisions That Count, Dr. Shawn Watson (neuroscientist & decision fatigue expert) and Michelle O’Brien (Biotech CMO, mum & marathon runner) sit down with Josh Hublitz — former Division I tennis captain, ex–investment banker, and now full-time digital creator — to unpack what really happens to our decisions under pressure.From five-set matches and 16-hour banking days to the uncertainty of creator life, Josh has lived through some of the most intense decision environments you can imagine. He shares how decision fatigue, chronic stress and poor sleep nearly broke him — and how strategic risk, authenticity, and a simple framework for “calculated leaps” reshaped his life and career.If you’ve ever stayed in the “safe” job too long, felt your brain shut down under pressure, or wondered whether you’re one brave decision away from a different life… this one’s for you.In this episode, we explore:🎾 The strategic mind of a tennis player How hundreds of split-second decisions per match build cognitive resilience — and what “controlling what you can control” really looks like under pressure.🧠 Decision fatigue in sport, banking & everyday life Why, when we’re exhausted, we don’t always default to the safe choice — we often become more impulsive, with real consequences for performance and outcomes.💤 Sleep, chronic stress & cognitive performance The neuroscience behind why poor sleep and high stress put you “behind” before the day even starts — and how better sleep changed the quality of Josh’s decisions.💼 Leaving a six-figure job (and your old identity) The ego hit of walking away from investment banking, and how Josh built a calculated-risk framework for career transitions instead of leaping blindly.🎥 Content creation, authenticity & pressure Why authenticity isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s the only sustainable strategy as a creator — and how Josh uses systems, structure and his athlete mindset to perform creatively.🔁 Building a decision framework you can trust How to balance safety, ego and clarity when you’re at a crossroads, and the power of calculated risks over “safe” choices that slowly cost you your health, freedom and potential.Find Josh here:🇮🇳 Instagram: @joshhublitz🌐 Website: joshhublitz.com🔗 LinkedIn: Josh HublitzEpisode Chapters00:00 – Introduction03:10 – Understanding Decision Fatigue05:49 – The Impact of Physical Conditioning08:59 – Cognitive Motor Dual Tasking11:48 – Transitioning from Tennis to Investment Banking14:48 – Decision Fatigue in High-Stakes Environments17:59 – The Importance of Sleep21:00 – Leaving Investment Banking for Freedom23:54 – Building a Decision Framework27:03 – The Role of Authenticity in Content Creation30:00 – Finding Clarity in Career Choices32:58 – The Journey of a Content Creator36:06 – Advice for Aspiring Creators38:53 – The Safe Decision Not TakenIf this episode sparks something for you, hit subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s standing at a major crossroads.Because your decisions shape more than your to-do list-they shape your life, your legacy, and the world you impact.🎧 Listen & Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📱 Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠