I recently found myself in need of some new blue jeans. Perhaps it was winter-weather induced overindulgence, but I sadly rendered my favorite pair of old jeans un-wearable. I’d had them for years and was sad to see them go. They fit oh so well, were awesomely distressed, and if I do say so myself, they looked fabulous with my favorite pair of cowgirl boots. Replacing them would be difficult, but off to the mall I went in an attempt to do so.
And there I stood, in front of the wall of denim. Are you familiar with the wall of denim? It’s where you’ll see words such as boot cut, boy cut, boyfriend, slim cut, skinny, ultra skinny, distressed, super distressed, button fly, zipper, hipster, low rise, high rise, tailored … and don’t even get me started on jeggings. I was completely overwhelmed, and I hadn’t even gone into the dressing room yet where I was sure to be met with additional layers of disappointment. Sometimes there are just too many choices!
We are a nation plagued by decision fatigue. We have been lead to believe that CHOICE = FREEDOM. However, when faced with too many choices, one of two things happens. First, we shut down because we get overwhelmed. We don’t know where to start, so we just don’t. Second, the expectation around the choice we make rises significantly. If we make a decision and pick a pair of jeans, they better be the best freakin’ jeans we’ve ever worn. We’ve committed so much time, effort and energy into making the decision, that we expect perfection. Ultimately, we end up disappointed because few things are perfect.
It’s important to recognize that choice doesn’t equal freedom. We don’t need to stand in front of the wall of denim and pick three sizes of each style to try on. We have to narrow down our choices. When deciding on something to purchase, something to do, or even something to eat, we increase our productivity when we limit decision making.
President Obama recently admitted to only wearing blue suits. He has too many other decisions to make to worry about what suit he’ll wear each morning. Mr. Rogers ate the same thing for lunch every single day. He didn’t want to waste time thinking about food when he could be off doing good in the world. And I don’t think Steve Jobs spent a lot of time combing through his closet looking for the perfect black turtleneck each day. He was too busy making cool stuff to care. Consider the number of decisions you have to make each day. Look for opportunities to decide less so you can do more.
Keep Neat!