The number of choices we make on a daily basis is staggering. As humans, we value the fact that we almost always have a range of options from which to choose. Whether we’re deciding what to order for lunch, what item to choose from the grocery store, or choosing what service to use to mail a package, we are constantly making comparisons and weighing our options to choose the best fit.
While it may seem that having endless options gives us maximum flexibility and affords us the leisure of being able to choose the perfect thing for each situation, it also can add to our overall stress level and cause us to forgo decision-making altogether. I’ve talked about this in the context of energy solutions sales – if you overwhelm your prospect with too many options, he or she will likely choose none of them. If you’re interested in learning more about how people make choices, I recommend reading The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, by Barry Schwartz.
Here’s a summary from Amazon Books:
“In the spirit of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock, a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret. This paperback includes a new P.S. section with author interviews, insights, features, suggested readings, and more.
“Whether we’re buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions – both big and small – have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
“We assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.
“In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice – the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish--becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice--from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs--has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.
“By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.”
