We live in a time of limitless choices. From streaming services to phone plans, from online shopping items to restaurants, we are constantly presented with an overwhelming number of options. Having more choices seems like a good thing—we have the ability to tailor our lives to our exact preferences. But is there a downside?
I think about the last time I stared at the menu of movie options for online streaming. Or the last time I tried to choose the correct shade of lipstick from thirty different shades of pink and red.
Too many options can lead to decision paralysis. What, exactly, is the “right” option? And once we’ve picked A, B, or C…. we sometimes circle back to the beginning and start weighing our choices again, just in case we could choose something better.
This “choice overload” can make simple decisions—like picking a restaurant for dinner—stressful.
Moreover, our expectations rise as choices increase. If we have 40 different types of tea to choose from as we stand in the tea aisle of the store, we expect our final choice to be perfect. Should you stick with the same brand of green tea or try a smaller box of something new? When your choice falls short, disappointment follows, and you’re stuck with a whole box of tea you don’t like.
Contrast this with having just a few choices, where we are more likely to feel content with what we pick. I’ve been to a diner with only five choices for breakfast. You could play a game of eeny meeny miny moe and make a quick decision.
So, how can we deal with too many options? One approach is to simplify decision-making by setting some criteria, trusting our instincts, or just making a snap decision and trusting it’s “good enough.”
What do you think? Do you feel overwhelmed by too many choices, or do you thrive on having endless possibilities?
Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a wide variety of choices. The plus is having a large amount to choose from. One minus is that it can take a while to choose just one. I prefer more choices than less although it helps to have something specific in mind before choosing!
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Sometimes it hard, though, to have just the right amount of choices!
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So true!
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I really enjoyed this blog post; it resonated strongly with me as I have been thinking about decision fatigue lately. I went to purchase a new shampoo last week and zoned out in front of all the options. It was overwhelming and in the end I chose something based on ingredients and price point. I wish I had walked into the store already knowing what I wanted to purchase because not only was it stressful but also a time suck. It got me to thinking of my years living abroad in Mexico then Spain and finally Argentina where the product options where much more limited (unless you went to the big box stores). I can clearly recall one time shopping for tampons and having had ONE option in Argentina. ONE! Can you imagine? At the time I was caught off guard and now, I think I will take just one option from time to time 🙂
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Sometimes I don’t like it when there is only one option and I don’t like that one option. Other times, I wish there were fewer options. Like you, I recently decided to switch makeup brands and spent 30 minutes just trying to narrow down the options for brand and then color. That was such a time suck. Shampoo also has so many options. I wish they would put their products into a database and then I could eliminate all the choices with a set of criteria.
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A database like that would be a huge help! Not only is the whole choosing process a time suck but sometimes I find myself purchasing products only to use them a few times before donating them or trying to pawn them off on friends and family, lol.
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Same here! Or if I can’t give them away, I keep them until they expire and then throw them away!
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Sometimes when there’s a lot of choices it’s because none of them are really any good😜
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Interesting point! I’ve gone shopping and looked at many choices for product but I can’t tell the differences between them all.
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I definitely feel overwhelmed with decision fatigue sometimes, but I prefer having choices than none at all 🙂
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Yes, sometimes if I’m not sure what I want, having some choices makes it easier.
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That is when LESS is MORE and vice- versa!
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Very applicable saying!
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Like this, thanks for the nudge to think about this automatic feeling of overwhelm a bit more 🙂
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Thanks for reading! Yes, decision making can be overwhelming!
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Interesting observation! I am overwhelmed when shopping and see too many things, yet I teach ways to entertain others’ views. Myriad sides to every story. Ha!
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Sometimes it is easier to pick if you have already decided which options are the most important to you or what you like the best. Provocative post, Vanya.
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This is good criteria – choosing what’s most important or what you like the best!
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