Too much choice!
Trying to decide what to write about in my second post on Substack became a bit overwhelming and I struggled to make a decision. I have actually been trying to write something about overwhelming choices in every day life but as there are also other things I want to write about, I just didn’t know where to start. It seems, however, that the decision been made for me - or inadvertently by me through my ramblings!
In my research into choice overwhelm (it is an actual thing), I found something called the Paradox of Choice. This idea was first introduced by someone called Barry Schwartz in 2004. His book “The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less,” states how stressful too many choices can be.
Think about sitting down to watch television in the evening, a moment you have been looking forward to, a time to relax after a busy day. You turn on the TV, look through the channels, not sure what you want to watch, seeing a few things that have piqued your interest, but consider there might be something better on one of the many other streaming services you are subscribed to, so you start flicking through them all. Before you know it, an hour has passed, and you still haven’t made a decision. Sound familiar?
It’s not just the number of channels, streaming services and shows that can be overwhelming. When looking for information or a service, there is so much to look at that it is hard to know what would be best. Comparison sites are supposedly there to help with this, however, there is also a number of those to choose from, so which one do you go to?
Some people believe an abundance of choice is better than a lack of choice, but too much choice can leave us feeling anxious about making the right choice and possibly regretting it through fear it wasn’t the best option.
Technology is constantly upgrading, updating, improving and when it comes to making big technological buys, we try to avoid rushing into a decision, so we do our research. But there is so much to look at that it becomes impossible to make the best choice and doubt creeps in, the anxiety swells and the thing we thought we needed seems harder to obtain and we start to feel bad about our inability to decide. The maelstrom in our mind causes panic so we click on what one of the many comparison sites deems the best, and we feel a moment of relief before the regret kicks in and the familiar doubt about our choice, a cycle that plays over and over in so many aspects of our lives.
All this choice at our finger tips and the constant need for decision making, leads to decision fatigue and overthinking so much that we can’t make a decision at all or we end up with buyer’s remorse.
So how can we manage the ‘Paradox of Choice?’ It doesn’t affect everyone, some people thrive on the research and the choices available. But for those who struggle with it, like me, maybe acceptance is the key. There might be times I make the wrong choice, but maybe I can learn to get past it and move on with my life, instead of dwelling on it and getting myself wound up. I suppose that could be taken into many areas of life, past, present and future, where accepting what has happened, what is happening now and what might happen, is the way to a more fulfilling and less stressful life.
That is not how I expected to end this post, it is interesting where the writing takes you. Such a huge learning moment for me. I am starting to feel less fearful about writing and more motivated to just get on and see where it takes me.
