Decision Fatigue Is a Symptom—Here’s the Real Problem

I’ve had migraines for years. And I don’t mean “bad headaches.” I mean full-body shutdowns—light sensitivity, nausea, the kind of pain that makes it impossible to function.

At first, I treated them like most people would. Take medication when the pain starts. Try to push through. Hope for the best.

But that only worked after the migraine had already taken over, and it rarely worked. The migraine often had to run its course—through the day, through the night. It was damage control, not prevention.

I finally got desperate enough to get help when they starting coming and staying for 3-5 days at a time.

My doctor didn’t just prescribe medication. They helped me build a system.

Yes, I still take medication, but it’s proactive. I take it before migraines hit and often according to the weather forecast. And alongside that, I have a prophylactic plan—a set of structured actions designed to keep migraines from happening in the first place:

• Tracking my triggers—so I know what increases my risk.

• Watching my diet & sleep—because small imbalances create bigger consequences.

• Recording migraine frequency—so we can see patterns over time.

• Adjusting based on data—so I’m not reacting based on a hunch.

This shift changed everything. Instead of constantly treating the pain, I started preventing it.

Leaders Approach Decision Fatigue the Same Way I Used to Handle Migraines

They wait until they’re completely overwhelmed, then try to fix it.

They take the equivalent of “painkillers”—they delegate a few things, cut back on meetings, streamline a process or two. It helps temporarily. But then the decision fatigue comes back.

Because they’re still reacting to symptoms instead of building a system that prevents burnout in the first place.

What’s Actually Causing Your Decision Fatigue?

If you feel like your brain is overloaded with decisions, the real issue isn’t just “too many choices.” That’s the symptom.

Here’s what’s actually happening behind the scenes:

You’re waiting too long to address mental overload.

• Like migraines, decision fatigue gets worse the longer you ignore it.

• If you only start making adjustments once you’re already burned out, you’re already too late.

You don’t have a proactive strategy for decision-making.

• Just like my doctor helped me track and analyze my migraines, you need a way to track what’s draining your decision-making energy.

• What times of day are your worst? What types of decisions drain you the most? Where are the biggest energy leaks?

You’re stuck in a cycle of reactive choices.

• Without a clear system, your brain has to rethink every decision from scratch.

• High-level leaders don’t just make decisions—they build decision-making frameworks.

You aren’t eliminating unnecessary decisions.

• Just like I track and adjust my diet to reduce migraines, leaders need to filter out low-value decisions before they ever reach their plate.

• If it’s not high-leverage, why is it in your mental bandwidth?

The Leadership Version of a Migraine Prevention Plan

Most people try to fix decision fatigue after they feel drained. But if you want to eliminate it for good, you need a prophylactic plan—something that prevents mental overload before it ever happens.

Here’s how to build one:

1️⃣ Identify Your Decision Triggers.

• Track when and why decision fatigue hits you the hardest.

• Is it certain types of decisions? Certain times of day? Certain people?

2️⃣ Create a Decision Hierarchy.

• Just like my doctor helped me identify high-risk triggers, you need a filter for your decisions:

  • What’s critical and requires deep thought?

  • What’s recurring and can be systematized?

  • What’s low-value and needs to be removed entirely?

3️⃣ Design Your Decision-Making Protocol.

• Instead of making every choice from scratch, create pre-set decision rules:

  • For small choices: Delegate or automate.

  • For recurring decisions: Document the framework.

  • For high-impact decisions: Build a process that removes unnecessary complexity.

4️⃣ Check the Data & Adjust.

• Just like I track my migraine patterns, you need to track what’s working.

• If certain decisions keep leading to fatigue, why? What needs to change?

5️⃣ Be Proactive, Not Reactive.

• Instead of waiting until you’re mentally drained, pre-load important decisions into your best mental hours.

• Protect your highest-energy time slots for the most strategic work.

Final Thought: Are You Managing the Pain or Preventing the Problem?

I used to think managing migraines meant treating the pain when it showed up. But the real breakthrough happened when I started preventing them.

Leadership is the same.

If you’re constantly dealing with decision fatigue, don’t just treat the exhaustion. Ask yourself what’s actually causing it.

Because real leadership isn’t about pushing through mental exhaustion.

It’s about designing a system where decision-making fuels you instead of drains you.