⏱️Quick Win: Stop decision fatigue from killing your start-up productivity

The simple framework that saves me 20+ micro-decisions every day

I’ve learned the hard way that running your own business doesn’t just drain your time — it drains your mind. After two years of working full-time on Mane Hook-Up, I realised that feeling overwhelmed wasn’t about having too much to do; it was about having too many small decisions to make every single day.

Dozens of tiny choices — what to eat, when to exercise, which task to tackle first, where to work, how to respond to messages — slowly sap your energy without you even noticing. By the time I sat down to focus on the things that actually mattered, my brain felt fried.

That’s when I decided to experiment with eliminating as many micro-decisions as possible. I created systems that took choices off my plate, freeing my mental energy for the work that truly drives results. Below, I’m sharing exactly what I did, why it works, and step-by-step guidance so you can implement the same strategies yourself.

The Decision Elimination Framework

Here's the simple process I use to identify and eliminate decision fatigue:

• Step 1: Track your micro-decisions for one day
  Notice every small choice you make throughout the day. You'll be shocked how many there are.

• Step 2: Identify your biggest energy drains
  Pick the areas where you waste the most mental energy making repetitive choices.

• Step 3: Create default rules
  Set simple, consistent rules that remove the choice entirely.

• Step 4: Test for one week
  Stick to your defaults without modification, even if it feels strange initially.

• Step 5: Measure the energy saved
  Notice how much clearer your thinking becomes when you're not constantly choosing.

Now, let me show you exactly how I applied this framework to four major areas of my life:

🏋️‍♀️ When to Exercise

The Problem

When you're knees deep in completing a project, fitting in time to exercise can feel more like an internal fight — deciding whether you really want to go or stay at home. From my experience, this is partly down to discipline and partly down to finding a form of exercise you really enjoy and can commit to.

The Experiments

Exercise has always been a huge part of my life, so this was probably one of the easier decisions for me. I train as an athlete, four days a week, and my sessions have set times (predominantly evenings). This schedule forced me to get a set amount of work done before leaving, which actually increased productivity. I tried yoga classes too, but they were inconsistent and unsustainable for me.

My Solution

Evening training became non-negotiable. I never skip unless I'm sick or injured. It acts as both a physical reset and a mental reset, helping me return to work with clarity and focus.

Your Action Steps

• Identify the time of day that naturally suits your energy and lifestyle

• Fix your workout time and treat it like a mandatory calendar event

• If you think you're likely to skip, find somewhere close to home or your office

• Ask someone to help keep you accountable

• Prepare your workout gear in advance to remove excuses

• Make skipping a rare exception, not a choice

The Payoff: My workouts no longer drain mental energy — they boost it. I complete my workday more efficiently, and the structure improves both productivity and focus.

🏠 Where to Work

The Problem

Deciding where to work every day — home, coworking space, or café — drained time and focus. Without a consistent rhythm, I often ended up in places that didn't support deep work, which led to my to-do list stretching further and further.

The Experiments

I tried different coworking spaces until I found one that had a reasonable commute, a great team, felt like home, and was just the right vibe. My current rhythm is 2–3 days at the coworking space and 2 days at home, with a goal of moving to 4 coworking days a week.

My Solution

I assign locations based on where I work best and the type of work I need to do. Coworking days for focus and energy, home days for lighter or administrative work. Budget-wise, I managed to negotiate a membership in exchange for running some small community events for the space.

Your Action Steps

• List all the locations where you realistically can work

• Match each location to the type of work it supports best

• Decide what days are better for you to work away from home (e.g., days with back-to-back calls)

• Follow this rhythm for a month and adjust only if needed

The Payoff: My productivity increased significantly, and I feel more energized and focused. Choosing where to work no longer consumes mental bandwidth.

📋 First Task of the Day

The Problem

Starting my day staring at a long to-do list created overwhelm and procrastination. It also stopped me from being able to move through my list efficiently and eventually created a backlog that led to missed deadlines.

The Experiments

I began prioritizing one "impact task" at the start of each day. These are tasks with high business impact and pressing deadlines.

My Solution

I plan the first task the night before, considering: time required, impact on business objectives, and urgency. Tasks like completing an accelerator application or preparing for a speaking opportunity take priority over routine admin.

Your Action Steps

• At the end of each day, identify tomorrow's top tasks

• Choose one "impact task" that moves the needle most

• Begin your day with this task before checking emails or messages

• If it's a long task, set a certain amount of hours on the work per day

• Defer lower-value work until the impact task is complete

The Payoff: I start each day with focus and momentum. Urgent, high-impact work gets done first, and I no longer waste energy on decisions that don't matter.

📞 Communication Defaults

The Problem

I was drowning in messages — email, text, WhatsApp, Instagram — and spent too much time deciding how to respond and which channel to use. Or, I experienced some kind of miscommunication when I used a channel that wasn't entirely fit for purpose.

The Experiments

Instead of trying to communicate on all channels equally, I created defaults:

• Quick updates & anything that needs an immediate response → WhatsApp/text

• Detailed responses & non-urgent → email

• Sensitive or complex topics (often to prevent miscommunication) → phone calls

My Solution

I didn't announce these rules formally; I acted consistently and clarified when necessary. The consistency reduced friction and ensured important messages were handled in the right way.

Your Action Steps

• List all the channels you use regularly

• Assign default types of communication to each channel

• Apply consistently in daily communication

• Adjust only if patterns prove ineffective

The Payoff: My communication became much clearer. I reduced decision fatigue and avoided unnecessary miscommunications, even in challenging situations.

🤖 AI for the Mundane

The Problem

Drafting emails, proposals, and slide decks multiple times a day consumed attention and added decision fatigue.

The Experiments

I began using AI to draft initial versions of emails, proposals, and decks, ensuring all points were covered and reducing the number of small decisions.

My Solution

AI handles repetitive, lower-stakes work, while I review and adjust for quality and nuance.

Your Action Steps

• Identify one repetitive task to outsource to AI

• Provide as much context as possible for the AI output

• Review and refine the result rather than starting from scratch

• Expand AI usage gradually to other repetitive tasks

The Payoff: Saved multiple hours each week. Reduced decision fatigue from small, repetitive choices. Freed up mental energy for strategy and high-value work.

"I Don't Have Time to Create Systems"

I know what you're thinking: "Jade, I'm already overwhelmed - I don't have time to set up systems."

Here's the thing: spending 30 minutes creating these defaults will save you hours every week. The mental energy you're currently burning on tiny decisions is costing you way more than the upfront investment.

These aren't complex systems - they're simple rules that eliminate choice.

Your Quick Start

Decision fatigue isn't about laziness or poor willpower. It's about mental energy being drained by choices that don't matter.

Start here: Choose "First Task of the Day" if you're not sure where to begin. It takes 2 minutes to set up and you'll see results immediately.

Your timeline:

• Tonight: Pick tomorrow's impact task before you close your laptop

• Day 3: You'll notice the mental relief of not staring at your to-do list each morning

• Day 7: It becomes automatic - no more decision paralysis to start your day

Once this feels natural, add one more area from the list above. Apply the framework: identify defaults, set rules, and stick with them for at least a week.

Even small wins compound into major mental freedom.

Try it and let me know which area had the biggest impact for you!

Ciao for now,

— Jade

P.S. Want my complete decision elimination playbook with all the specific defaults I use? Just reply and I'll send it over.