The Hidden Cost of Founder Decision Fatigue and what to do about it

“What do you want to do?”

Such a simple question. Yet when my partner asks me this at home after a full day of decisions, my brain literally stops working.

Dinner? I don’t know. TV show? You pick. Weekend plans? Whatever you think.

It’s funny (and slightly tragic) how the same brain that can navigate complex business decisions all day suddenly can’t choose between pasta or potato.

The Paradox of Decision-Making Energy

Here’s what I’ve realised about decision fatigue: At work, most decisions feel like bouncing opportunities. Someone brings a challenge, we sound each other out, explore options together, find solutions. It’s collaborative, energising even.

At home, that same question feels like… another thing I need to figure out.

The Solo Founder’s Burden

Now imagine you’re a sole founder.

No co-founder to bounce ideas off. No team to brainstorm with. Every product decision, hiring choice, strategic pivot, budget allocation – it all lands on your desk with that same energy as “what do you want for dinner?”

Except the stakes are your company, your team’s livelihoods, your investors’ trust.

The weight of being the person who always has to know what to do is exhausting.

That’s why the most successful founders I work with have learned to protect their decision-making energy like it’s their most valuable resource. Because it is.

Protecting Your Most Valuable Resource

What would it feel like to remove decision fatigue from the small stuff?

Eat the same lunch every day. Wear a variation of the same outfit. Create templates for recurring decisions. Automate what you can, delegate what you shouldn’t be doing, and save your mental energy for the choices that actually move your business forward.

The Science Behind Decision Fatigue

Research shows we make approximately 35,000 decisions per day. Each one depletes our cognitive resources, particularly our prefrontal cortex – the part responsible for rational thinking and self-control.

This is why even successful leaders like Obama and Zuckerberg famously wear the same thing every day. It’s not laziness – it’s strategic energy management.

Practical Steps to Reclaim Your Decision-Making Energy

1. Identify Your Decision Drains Track what decisions you’re making for one week. You’ll be surprised how many are repetitive and unnecessary.

2. Create Decision-Free Zones

• Same breakfast/lunch routine
• Set meeting uniform (even if working from home)
• Establish default answers for recurring requests

3. Implement the “Decide Once” Rule Any decision you make more than twice should become a system, template, or delegated task.

4. Build in Reflection Time The most important decisions deserve a clear mind. Schedule “thinking time” when your energy is highest – usually morning.

When Decision Fatigue Becomes Dangerous

For founders, decision fatigue doesn’t just mean choosing delicious foods. It means:

• Avoiding important strategic conversations
• Defaulting to “yes” when you should say “no”
• Making impulsive choices about hiring or spending
• Missing opportunities because you’re too drained to evaluate them properly

The question isn’t whether you can make another decision – it’s whether you should.

What’s one decision you could eliminate completely this week?

p.s. I’ve planned my outfits this week so I’m all good ; )