Decision Debt: What It’s Costing You

Howdy!
In today’s blog, I want to talk about something that can slow down your business even more than bad strategy, weak tools, or low revenue: indecision.

I call it decision debt. This is the backlog of choices you keep putting off. And just like technical debt in software, the longer you avoid it, the worse it will get.

Every day that passes by where you delay a key decision, whether that be hiring, firing, launching, budgeting, pivoting, is another day that your business loses speed. You end up building confusion instead of clarity. You stall all momentum. And, you can burn out your entire team in the process.

The Problem With Not Deciding

When you don’t make a decision, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening, it means everything is stuck.

• That hire you’re “still thinking about” found a job elsewhere.

   

• That product you keep reworking? Your competitors already launched theirs.

   

• That underperformer you’re avoiding addressing is actively killing your team morale.

As a founder, it is your primary role to move the ball forward, which means making decisions, even when they’re hard and uncomfortable. 

The Hidden Costs of Decision Debt

• Lost Time
  Every hour you wait is a missed opportunity for your business. Delays can compound just like interest, except it pays out in stress and wasted energy.

   

• Team Paralysis
  Your team is looking to you for direction. If they’re always waiting on you, they stop taking initiative. Confidence drops and culture erodes.

   

• Missed Momentum
  Execution loves momentum. When everything’s in limbo, even the best plans end up stalling out.

   

• Emotional Drag
  Indecision wears on you like a silent weight you’re carrying around, and it will clog your mental bandwidth more than you think.

   

Here’s How I Get Unstuck

I’m no stranger to decision fatigue — especially when you’re running multiple businesses. Here’s what I find helps me to cut through the fog:

• Set a Deadline

  Force yourself to make the decision by a set date. Even a self-imposed deadline can help to create clarity.

• Ask: What’s the Worst That Can Happen?

  95% of decisions aren’t permanent. Make the call, test it, and adjust later if you need to.

• Get Outside Perspective

  I turn to advisors, my business partner, or even past data. You don’t have to decide in a vacuum—just don’t use others as an excuse to delay.

• Define the Next Right Step

  If the decision in its entirety feels too big, you can break it down. Sometimes the move isn’t “solve it,” it’s “gather this one piece of info first.”

Final Thought

Don’t let decisions pile up like dirty laundry in the corner of your company. Because, the longer you avoid them, the more they stink. Rip off the band-aid, trust your gut (and your data), and keep your business moving forward. It’s the best thing you can do for everyone. 

Important Question to Ask Yourself This Week:

What’s one decision you’ve been avoiding that’s creating drag in your business? What would happen if you made it today?