Have you ever experienced the sensation of having so many choices, that it is seemingly impossible to settle on one option?
Recently, while shopping for a birthday card, there were so many options, I really couldn’t make a choice. I wasted way too much time worrying about picking out just the right card.
Chances are, no matter what card I chose, the recipient wasn’t going to recall the card much past the point of opening and reading it.
At the point I was running out of time, I picked what I hoped was the best option, paid and exited the store.
What I experienced has a name, choice paralysis.
Choice paralysis occurs when there are too many options from which to choose.
While choice paralysis is not a huge deal when choosing a birthday card, it is a big deal when it affects every choice you have to make.
If I had remembered in time, I could have used a strategy a friend had shared for plowing through choice paralysis.
Although there’s no official name, I refer to it as the rule of two things.
The rule of two things is a surprisingly easy, yet effective, strategy to use when faced with having too many options from which to choose.
The rule of two things works like this.
Limit your choices to two things at a time.
Pick the best option between only those two items. Keep one and discard the other.
Add an additional option and compare it to the winner of the previous round.
Again, keep one and discard the other.
Repeat this process as many times as it takes.
Stop when you have one good enough option.
Notice, I said good enough, not perfect. There will never be a perfect choice. Learn to be ok with good enough.
This is a strategy that works whether you’re buying a birthday card or a new car.
Some choices are self-eliminating and never need to become part of the equation.
For example, when shopping for a birthday card, it’s not necessary to even look at anniversary cards. Anniversary cards are not an option.
When shopping for large ticket items, some choices should automatically self-eliminate.
Since I just purchased an oven, I’ll use choosing an oven as an example.
Color was mandatory. I wanted black stainless to match my dishwasher.
My preferred brand was Frigidaire, since, again, I wanted it to match what I already had.
Lastly, there was a list of features I wanted in a new oven.
When I began my search, there was a very defined criteria. Any option not meeting the criteria could be immediately eliminated.
Choosing to look only ovens meeting that criteria, I compared two at a time until I whittled it down to the best option for what I could afford to pay.
If you suffer from severe choice paralysis, it helps to set a time limit.
When making a choice, allow yourself a realistic amount of time at which point you go with what is, at that moment, the best option.
Don’t spend too much time on small ticket items. What’s the worst that can happen if you mess up a ten-dollar choice?
Larger ticket items deserve a bit more time. It’s quite possible you will have to live with the decision for a while.
However, even for larger ticket items, there should be a drop-dead time limit for making a decision.
Here’s the truth, with every choice you ever make, you probably could have done better, and you probably could have done worse.
This advice was provided by one of my best friends after I purchased a vehicle during my lunch hour.
It’s great advice and I refer to it often.
Do you suffer from choice paralysis?
Try the rule of two things.
And remind yourself, it could be better or it could be worse. Good enough is ok.
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