As a mid-6-figure CEO scaling toward seven or eight figures, every decision you make has a ripple effect. But here’s the truth: the more decisions you have to make, the harder it becomes to make good ones. And, if you are not careful, the sheer multitude of the decisions you have to make will produce decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue happens when your mental energy is drained by the sheer volume of choices you face daily. It’s what makes even brilliant CEOs default to easy, unproductive, non-revenue generating decisions – like spending an hour on email instead of closing a new high-ticket client engagement.
Scaling your business requires making bold, strategic decisions quickly and consistently. While I was on my way to my first 7 figures, I made the decision to BE the CEO of the company with the revenue I desired. And that meant I had to make decisions from my vision point and not my vantage point.
In this week’s article, let,s explore a framework for leveraging some simple yet effective keys to make better decisions without burning out or costing your company it’s next level of revenue in the process.
1. Automate Low-Stakes Decisions
The less mental energy you spend on small decisions, the more bandwidth you’ll have for critical ones.
- Standardize Your Day-to-Day: Decide once what you,ll wear, eat for breakfast, or how you,ll structure your mornings. For example, create a weekly meal plan or adopt a “uniform” for workdays. When I first left corporate, every morning was like a mini fashion show and it would take me time to figure out what I was going to wear. Simply by choosing a standard of dress for office days vs days when I was traveling and speaking, I saved quality time and prevented myself from over analyzing something that won’t impact revenue.
- Delegate Decisions: Empower your team to handle smaller, operational choices. Create decision-making guidelines to help them act confidently without your constant input. When we put a decision matrix in place within our company and as a part of our SOP directory, I realized that I was starting to empower my team to lead like they own it. This has been a game changer for accountability and results.
- Systematize Repeated Decisions: Use tools like templates or decision frameworks for recurring choices, such as email responses, meeting agendas, or client onboarding processes. We created a response library for frequent questions we receive which allows my team to respond faster.
Freeing yourself from these smaller decisions allows you to focus your energy where it matters most – on growth, strategy, and leadership. Remember, as the CEO, your goals is to spend 80% of your time or more in your vision point, ON the business not in it. And while, depending on the size of your team it may take time to get there, this first key will play a centrifugal role in making it possible.
2. Use Decision Filters for Strategic Clarity
Not every opportunity is worth your time or attention. Decision filters help you evaluate choices against your long-term goals. Ask yourself:
- Does this align with my business goals and values?
- Will this help me move closer to my revenue and impact targets?
- Is this a distraction, or does it directly support company or team priorities?
For example, if you’re considering a new project or opportunity, evaluate it through the lens of your current priorities. If it doesn’t align, it’s an easy “no.”
Pro Tip: Write your decision filters down and review them before making any big decision. And take it a step further to teach this process to your team. This will continue to empower them so that even when you are not present, they are moving like you are.
3. Limit the Number of Decisions You Make Each Day
More than likely at this point in time in your business, you are the decision maker. Without others to help take some of the high-level decisions off your plate, you have to find time to maximize this critical time inside of your business. Your brain has a finite capacity for decision-making. Protect it by creating boundaries.
- Time Block Decision Windows: Reserve specific times for decision-making, like the first 60 minutes of your day or a designated “CEO Hour” each week. Or, you may decide to institute a CEO day where you are in CEO mode for an entire shift so that you can focus your energy. This can be incredibly helpful when you still provide the core service in your business. The ultimate goal will be to begin to hire talent team members so that you get a reprieve from service delivery and can focus more on strategic insight and overviews.
- Batch Similar Decisions: Group decisions into categories and tackle them all at once. For example, dedicate a block of time to approving marketing assets or reviewing team requests.
- Say “No” More Often: Recognize that every “yes” adds to your decision load. Guard your time fiercely and only say yes to what truly aligns with your goals. This will require extreme clarity about your season of business, your core goals and the strategy you’ve instituted to bring those goals into view. Remember, this is a journey about capacity and your must have room for what you desire to bring into your life and business.
4. Trust Your Gut—But Use Data, Too
When you’re scaling a business, it’s important to balance intuition with evidence.
- Use Data to Inform Decisions: Before making a big choice, look at the numbers. For example, if you’re debating where to allocate your marketing budget, check ROI metrics for previous campaigns. The numbers never lie, aren’t emotionally charged and can help you to recognize an opportunity to shift or streamline. Don’t ignore this. The better you become at leveraging the data the better you will become, period.
- Leverage Experience: Trust your instincts when the data aligns with what you’ve already seen work in your business.
- Avoid Analysis Paralysis: Sometimes, the best decision is just to move forward. If you have 70–80% of the information you need, take action and adjust as you go.
5. Recharge Your Decision-Making Energy
To make high-quality decisions consistently, you need to recharge your brain regularly.
- Schedule Non-Negotiable Breaks: Step away from your desk every 90–120 minutes. Even a 10-minute walk can restore your focus.
- Eliminate Decision Overload: Avoid making decisions when you’re tired, hungry, or overwhelmed. These are prime moments for decision fatigue to set in.
- Create an Evening Reset Routine: Spend a few minutes each evening organizing tasks for the next day. This reduces the number of choices you have to make in the morning.
- Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep Each Night: Your ability to recover your mental energy enhances your ability to move your company forward. Don’t fall into the “I will sleep when I am dead trap” that leads to hustle and grind. Respect your body the way you respected your previous job. Honor it, tend to it, develop sound habits and implement them with consistency.
As the CEO, your decisions are the engine of your business. The faster and more confidently you can make strategic choices, the more momentum your business will have. Decision fatigue doesn’t just slow you down—it keeps you from making the 7-figure moves that matter most.
This week, simplify your decision-making process. Start small: automate one low-stakes decision, create a filter for evaluating opportunities, or block time for high-impact choices.
When you master decision-making, you don’t just work smarter—you lead smarter.
Ready to join a community of CEOs all working toward their first or next 7 figures? Right now, we have three ways we can support you:
- Grab a copy of my bestselling book, Move to Millions: The Proven Framework to Become a Million Dollar CEO with Grace & Ease Instead of Hustle & Grind. It’s available in paperback and audible, wherever you like to buy your books or www.movetomillionsbook.com
- Join us at Move to Millions Live. MTM Live is our annual 3-day live event experience for 7-figure CEOs and 7-figure CEOs in the making. For three full days get the insights, inspiration, and implementation keys you need to make the move to millions. Learn more at www.movetomillionsevent.com
- Want to start working together before May? At Haus of Millions® we have created several business advisory programs that can support you at the level of support you require next. To learn more about the Haus Programs, visit Https://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com/work-with-us
