How to Conquer the Paradox of Choice
Taking action when there are too many to take
When I was preparing to go abroad for the first time, I had lots of options. Literally, any country other than the United States would have been new to me, and new was the goal. Even better, I was a certified teacher of English as a second language, so I had schools in multiple countries courting me. And, if I wanted more opportunities I could get them.
I wasn’t picky. When I applied to teach at a school in Kyrgyzstan and got an offer, my mind was made up. I was going. My mother had other ideas. She requested I eliminate any countries that end in ‘-stan’ from consideration. Even though I felt the request was unfairly generalized, I also owed her some peace of mind for taking care of the majority of my needs for 20-plus years. Kyrgyzstan was off the table.
Failing on repeat, fast
The next offer was from Spain. I decided against that because of a lack of income potential (a lack I was somewhat misinformed about). Spain was off the table.
Next was an offer from a school in Chile. This was high on my list but, again the income was too low for me to start paying back my student loans. Chile was off the table.
Then was my first rejection. An Indonesian school wanted me to have a few more years of experience. Off the table.
A week later I was on an international phone call with a school in Taiwan. The conversation ended with the recruiter asking, “when can you be here?” I waited for my parents to return from vacation to say goodbye and was on a plane to Taiwan by the end of the month.
I went through all of these applications and hiring processes in a little more than a month. Reflecting on this stretch of time is interesting because it is in contrast to my habits now. I am now too thoughtful, too careful, and spend too much time considering multiple options.
Too many options, not enough action
When numerous options are placed before us, we can become hypnotized in the analysis. The challenge presented by excess choice is the subject of Barry Schwartz’s book The Paradox of Choice. This book takes an important look into the new economy of choice.
When trying to make the best choice we run the risk of letting options slip away or wasting time in calculation.
Why weren’t too many options an issue for me in traveling abroad? Because I took action.
My main concern was not with the quality of the experience abroad, but only with having one. It didn’t matter what it was. The way I had it planned, this would be the first of many countries I would go to. So, if the first experience wasn’t perfect, there would be plenty more chances to improve upon it elsewhere. Quantity would bring quality; a view generally not promoted.
Maybe it should be.
With quantity comes quality
This is an idea I do not always follow. When I was eager to experience other countries, it was easy to say yes to any offer that came my way. With other choices and actions in life — such as settling on an idea to write about — I am not so fast.
When there are a hundred ideas running around in your head, there is a real challenge in knowing what to choose.
So, choose any.
To be clear, I’m not saying choose at random with an important decision. If you’re on a budget to buy a refrigerator, no, don’t pick the most expensive one just because it is the first one you saw. There are some decisions that deserve consideration. Still, there are many more than a poor choice, decision, or execution is nothing more than the time spent before your next chance. Don’t put a spotlight on one choice.
If you don’t risk losing much or anything based on a decision, any decision will do. Writing is a perfect example of this. With too many ideas, any idea will do. There is always another time to turn back and reflect on the idea you previously neglected.
Choosing any of the ideas will mean you have something as opposed to having nothing. As long as you are still in decision mode, you have nothing to show for it. Through action, you make a successful act possible. By acting many times, you make a successful action likely.
The best ideas remain
In writing, travel, and many other activities in life, a plethora of options exist. I didn’t go to Spain as my first destination, but I did get there a year later. I still haven’t been to Chile, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never get there. Some of my favorite writing ideas have been looming over me for years either maturing or dying. I can’t say I know which.
One way or the other, these ideas will remain available on the other side of the day. If that is the time for me to write about them, they will still be available. If not, they’ll be available the next day too. As long as I’m writing something, I know I’m making the right decision.
To read more about decision making and the difficulties in choice, I recommend these books:
