6 Ways To Beat Decision Fatigue Before It Kills Your Business

Decision fatigue sucks. I have seen it decimate businesses, and I don’t want yours to be next.

Let me tell you a story about how I recently noticed decision fatigue in my business: A marketing friend of mine is piloting a program called “Entrepreneur's Apprentice.” I myself am three weeks into having my own marketing apprentice. 

Something I wasn’t expecting from working with an apprentice is the sense of relief that I felt. And I didn’t even know I was experiencing relief until I was asked for feedback.

You see, there are a thousand decisions I have to make every day. By the time my husband gets home and it’s time to talk about dinner, the question of “what would you like to eat” is so grating, it’s almost offensive.

I. Don’t. Know.

I can’t even think straight by then. My decision brain cells are fried. I don’t know what I want.

We’re all just guessing

The thing about decisions is that they are just guesses. Every decision. We are guessing that the outcome of a decision is more desirable than the other options we left on the table.

Some people have a natural instinct at making good guesses and following through with action. But if we were to hone our skill at guessing, imagine what that could do for you and your business.

What if you became an expert guesser? How would that impact how much fun you had working in and on your business? How would that shift how you attack problems? Who would you want to learn from?

The mental and emotional toll of decision making

In order to make the best guess we gather information, look at data, rely on experience or testimonials, or go with our gut. None of these methods are wrong, but boy can they ever be exhausting.

And not just exhausting… but also paralyzing.

The feeling of relief that I stumbled upon with my apprentice came from NOT having to make decisions. So often in this world of small business ownership we are taking care of others – our clients, our employees, our vendors – and it takes a toll.

The American Medical Association wrote an article about the topic, stating:

Decision fatigue is “the idea that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse,” said Dr. MacLean, a psychiatrist.

“The more choices you have to make, the more it can wear on your brain, and it may cause your brain to look for short cuts,” she added, noting that “there are four main symptoms: procrastination, impulsivity, avoidance and indecision.”

“You are either putting the decision off until later, making a rash decision based on little evidence, avoiding the decision altogether or battling back and forth between various choices,” said Dr. MacLean. “The psychological effects of decision fatigue can vary, potentially leading to difficulty making the right decisions, impulse buying or other avoidance behaviors.

Well, that sucks. 

Procrastination, Impulsivity, Avoidance and Indecision are the cast of the four horsemen of the business apocalypse. These could be devastating to you – the small business owner.

The toll is even worse because of the added pressure of taking care of your clients, your vendors, and your employees.

Be a better guesser

So what’s the antidote?

As a CFO who helps my clients “see” the future with projections and other tools, my job is to help you make better guesses decisions. My first move is to always bust open an Excel sheet and map out a few different outcomes (see #4 below), but I also know that not everyone has the same giddy reaction to an empty spreadsheet.

Here are six methods that helped me become a better decision-maker:

1. Make big decisions in the morning while your brain is still fresh.
   “Let me sleep on it” is a solid move.

2. Let someone else decide.
   This is what my marketing apprentice is doing for me. I no longer have to try to figure out the best way to spend resources to market (thank goodness).

3. Bounce your ideas off someone you trust and who can see the big picture.
   I’m not talking about a yes-man — I’m talking about someone who understands your vision and doesn’t try to impose their ideas on you. Someone who can be objective and remind you of how your values and vision meld with the choices at hand. Personally I’m a verbal processor, and the simple act of being able to play with words with my business coach or EVA helps me see things more clearly.
   If you’d like someone in your corner, I’m happy to make time to talk with you.

4. Lean on your data — make a model.
   Ooo… those sweet sweet spreadsheets come in handy here! My go-to is the Cash Calendar for using the data from what has already happened in my client’s businesses, add what is currently happening, and paint a picture of the future by taking the different results of a single decision into account.

5. Think through alternatives.
   Do you have all of your choices out on the table where you can see them? What angles can you look at this decision through?

6. Consider your values.
   Where is the pressure coming from to make the decision NOW? What is it costing you? Is the urgency real or manufactured by outside forces that want something from you?

No one knows your business like you know your business.

I’m rooting for you!

PS — If you’re looking for an apprentice, throw an email at [email protected]!