Stop keeping your options open

I’ve noticed something in my coaching practice.

Reluctance to make decisions leads to suffering.

My clients who struggle to take options off the table, to close certain doors, have a slower (and often more strained) progression toward their goals.

Making a true decision, by definition, requires cutting yourself off from other options.

Yet so many of us want to keep our options open, mistakenly believing that more is better.

Are you experiencing choice overload?

The paradox of choice refers to the phenomenon of choice overload—the more options you have, the more overwhelmed you’ll be.

This can feel counter intuitive.

Without further inquiry, it may seem as though your chances of success and happiness will increase as your options increase.

Actually, research shows that too many choices leads to negative emotions and stress.

One of the biggest reasons choice overload is problematic is because having too many options makes it harder to make decisions.

In his influential book The Paradox of Choice, psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about maximizers and satisficers.

Maximizers seek the best possible outcome. They are prone to perfectionism and prefer to weigh all possible options before making a decision.

Satisficers are content with good-enough choices and are quicker to act.

There’s nuance to Schwartz’s findings but here’s the punchline:

“…people with high maximization scores experienced less satisfaction with life, were less happy, were less optimistic, and were more depressed.”

— Barry Schwartz

In my experience coaching people (and observing my own patterns), this is accurate.

Taking decisive action decreases emotional suffering.

It’s not that weighing options is bad—look hard and long enough, and you’re likely to find the objectively best answer.

But, if your subjective experience of life is diminished in the process, is it worth it?