By Edris Tucker, AFC®
Financial Coaching Program Manager, CommunityWorks
8/4/2025
I’m not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV), but for much of my early life, I wanted to be one. When I was six, my brother had an accident that I thought was my fault. It led me to say to God: “God, if you don’t let my brother die, I’ll become a doctor!” That statement stuck with me for years, right up until organic chemistry and biochemistry in my sophomore year of college. That’s when I thought, maybe not.
I decided I’d become a psychologist instead. I could still be called “doctor,” and psychologists make money, so I wouldn’t have to think about money too much. That was important to me because, when I was five, I made another big decision (long story short) not to have anything to do with money.
But God has a sense of humor, which is why I am a financial coach today.
These early childhood “decisions” can have a lasting impact. For many of us, deciding to be the boss of your own business often has its roots in our early years. The thing is, we have an obligation as an adult, to reexamine and reassess, to see if they still fit, to see if they are really what we want. Otherwise, we would have an oversupply of firemen and race car drivers!
On the other hand, not deciding is also a decision. When it comes to financial decisions, these can be the most dangerous kind. Choosing not to decide and letting things just happen is often because we are under stress. That’s where H.A.L.T.S. comes in: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Scared. When we’re experiencing any of these, it’s important to pause. Decisions made in these states are rarely our best.
I brought up not being a doctor because there are neurochemical reasons why making financial decisions under stress can be a challenge. I’m not a neuroscientist, but I am aware that there are certain stress hormones that can interfere with your decision-making abilities.
In the moment, financial decision-making is more stressful when there is no plan to guide you. Decision fatigue is a real thing. It’s part of the reason people overspend buying gifts during the holidays because there are so many decisions to be made and no real plan for most people of how much to spend and with so many choices, it gets overwhelming. In this sense, entrepreneurship can be like Christmastime every day. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
How do you minimize the effects of decision fatigue, pressure and having to deal with the consequences of poor decisions?
- Carve out some time to plan. You have to prioritize breat\hing space to really think about your financial decisions.
- Anticipate what’s coming next so you aren’t always putting out fires but have space and time to make decisions outside of the present moment. Take some time to see what your Future Self and your Future Business are going to need so you aren’t surprised by things you shouldn’t be surprised about.
- Create a plan and carry it with you! Make the plan accessible so you can have that guidance available to you when an “opportunity” arises that may or may not be in your best interests.
- Get some guidance. Learn some new skills. Take some classes. You can hardly anticipate the future when you aren’t paying attention to what’s happening today.
When you have a plan that lays out the foundational elements of your business and what you will need to run it effectively you have a greater shot at making better decisions.
Check out the resources CommunityWorks offers:
- A Resource portal (which includes some real tools to create your plan like the S.W.O.T. analysis, Business Canvas and Business Planning tools)
Build less stress into your financial decision-making and let us help you!
