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 