Decision Fatigue in Dark Seasons: How to Lead When Your Energy Tank Is on Empty
It was January 1, and I had only one thought: Why am I not feeling refreshed and renewed after two weeks off?
I had abandoned my routine of Creative Absence—intentional time where I was physically, mentally, and emotionally away from the business—by Q4 of 2025.
How was I going to make it through the next day, let alone 2026?
Y'all, this is not how I want to live. AT ALL.
I was disappointed in myself for getting here again. While I had already put plans in motion to make sure I wouldn’t be here this time next year, I was still facing a real question: How was I going to launch my clients well into their new year while closing mine out and beginning my personal reset season on February 1?
Sound familiar?
You know that feeling when every decision—from what to eat for lunch to critical business strategy—feels like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops.
Here's what I've learned about decision fatigue in these darker months: Our brains were never designed to make hundreds of decisions daily while operating on reduced daylight, disrupted rhythms, and holiday overwhelm. Winter hits differently because we are biologically wired to slow down, yet business demands often speed up.
So instead of beating myself up (again), I got curious.
What are the results that I absolutely have to drive right now?
For me, the answer was clear: coaching my clients. That was non-negotiable and not something I could delegate.
So why was I acting like everything had to run through me?
I started taking inventory of my actual reality versus the chaos story my exhausted brain was telling me:
I have a rockstar Virtual Assistant whom I meet with weekly. How could I better prepare for those meetings so I could delegate well?
The marketer I work with is doing an excellent job guiding priorities and timelines, all clearly tracked in Trello and on my calendar.
I have an awesome bookkeeper who's keeping my books in order.
I’ve already met with my accountant and have clear to-dos and due dates.
What did I discover?
I realized I had already built a strong framework around myself—I had just forgotten to trust it. The problem wasn’t my systems. It was a decision-depleted brain that couldn’t see what was already working.
When our energy tank hits empty, we default to scarcity thinking:
"I have to do it all."
But abundance thinking says:
"Look at the people, systems, and support God has already placed around me."
This is where faith meets business strategy.
Jesus modeled rest and delegation. He didn't try to personally disciple every person in every town. He invested deeply in twelve, sent out the seventy-two, and trusted the Holy Spirit to multiply the work.
So here's my decision-stacking method for dark seasons:
Level 1: Non-Negotiables
Save your best energy for these.
Core client delivery
Critical leadership decisions
Family and personal time during holidays
Level 2: Delegatable
Trust your team with clear frameworks.
Administrative tasks.
Content creation and execution.
Routine client communication.
Level 3: Automatable or Postponable
February can wait.
Wardrobe decisions (lay out clothes the night before).
Meal planning (batch prep or order in).
Non-urgent business development.
And when overwhelm hits—and it will—here’s what helps me:
1. Inhale
2. Exhale
3. Remind myself who and what is already in place to support my primary responsibility.
Your brain wants to make everything feel urgent. But urgency and importance are not the same thing.
You’re allowed to protect your decision-making energy for what truly matters.
The beautiful truth? You don't have to white-knuckle your way through dark seasons. God designed community, systems, and rest for exactly these moments.
If you’re noticing that everything still runs through you or that decision fatigue is quietly shaping your leadership, this is exactly where coaching helps.
This is the work I do with leaders: helping you slow down enough to see clearly, put the right supports around you, and lead yourself, your team, and your business with intention instead of exhaustion.
If a conversation would help you gain perspective on what support could look like in this season, you can book a call here.