February 7, 2025

4 Ways To Reduce Decision Fatigue

Edition #013

Have you ever been asked, “What would you like for dinner?” and immediately felt like screaming?

That’s probably because you’ve already made a million and one decisions since the moment you woke up and by the time dinner has rolled around, you’re in fight or flight mode.

Decision making has drained your mental battery to the level where you no longer know what you want to eat, no longer care, default to an easy comfort, or may choose to avoid eating altogether.

You’re in decision fatigue.

But…

What if you knew that dinner was handled for the next ten years? How much mental battery would that save?

I’m here to help your mental battery stay charged.

Here’s how.

What To Do When Brain Strain Makes You Angry

Simplify daily decisions.

How can you simplify the things you simply must do everyday? Streamlining small, yet tedious decisions, can save much needed brain power. Here are some examples of what this looks like:

Wear a uniform. Steve Jobs wore a black mock neck every day. No more “What should I wear?”
Use calendar blocks and delegate scheduling. Hand it off to a VA. No more “When do I have time?”
Plan meals in advance. Using a meal delivery service removes the daily “what’s for dinner?” debate.

Focus decision-making energy.

Solve what you solve best when your brain is juicy. Here’s some ways to do that:

Recognize when you are at the top of your mental game. For me, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. are peak mental hours.
Handle the decisions requiring YOUR genius. These are the decisions that make you feel energized and empowered. You will make those decisions faster, better, and with more confidence than others. Don’t hand those off to someone else.
Schedule time to unplug. Take a day a week, one weekend a month, or a trip once a quarter. Give yourself space for clarity to return.

Share decision-making responsibilities.

The only decision you need to make is who decides.

Audit your time to identify recurring or low-value decisions. Track your time in 30 minute segments for one week. Identify repetitive decisions that may be handed to a capable team.
Trust your team members to decide within their expertise. Then watch their confidence and ability expand to take on more.
Recognize when a decision may be too complex. Instead of struggling alone, find a capable partner.

Automate decisions.

Decide once and create systems that run on autopilot.

Build video playbooks. Record yourself explaining a standard process, hand it to your team and enjoy the consistency it creates.
Add the video to a document with templates and resources. Capture your best decisions so no one has to start from scratch.
Enjoy the mental space. One less decision to make = more energy for what truly matters.

So, take a deep breath and remember: Even small changes in how you go about daily decision-making in your personal and professional life can make a big difference in reclaiming your mental energy. By implementing these strategies, you can conquer decision fatigue and free up your focus for what truly matters.

Takeaways:

Decision fatigue is real. It causes mental drain, avoidance, and reduced willpower.
Simplify, focus your energy, share responsibility, and automate decisions to help combat this business owner malady.

May you have clarity and easy decisions ahead,

Laurie