We are stressed because we have too many choices in life—yes, it’s true. Comparing modern times to simpler times long ago, I often wonder how life was more genuine and less stressful years ago. Yes, nowadays, we have so many choices in life that it even feels a little stressful at times.
Maybe you’re too young, but a lot of us can recall a time when a night out with friends meant just that—being present. No phones, no plans, and a simple “hangout” was all that was needed. How often do we feel lonely when we’ve got hundreds of friends online? We’ve got so many choices in today’s time. We’ve had so many pursuits. Wouldn’t it be bad to get off the hamster wheel and just stop? Live simply, choose what’s essential.
The paradox of choice is real. People have been too indulgent in consumerism, which seemingly results from too many choices being offered, unlike the old times, which were much simpler. There wasn’t much to choose from, which was both a curse and a blessing ( I guess ).
Richard Uzelac’s Ways to Make Life Simpler
Declutter
The number of households impacts our inner peace. Scientific evidence, including a notable study from Princeton University, confirms that clutter can reduce your ability to focus on tasks. The core reason is that your brain’s attentional and processing capacities are limited. A chaotic or disorganized environment overloads your senses with competing visual stimuli, forcing your brain to divide its attention.
Decision-Making Balance
Very often, when I think, especially when it comes to business, I overthink. I consider hundreds of variables, stakes, possible outcomes, opinions, or just Richard being Rational. But I’ve learned that there will always be unforeseen variables and stuff that make future outcomes inherently uncertain. So, I find balance in between.
Prioritize
When you think about it, to sustain your life, you would only have to have air, water, and food—the basic needs of man—yet because of the choices that God has given us, we tend to be more stressed. In my life, I have realized that you partly need to part ways with some things and do those that you need the most. Simply, a man can’t do everything. Hey, you are not God!
Be Mindful at All Times
Having choices in life is a privilege, especially when you feel your personal life needs to be rectified. The ability to make new choices can be incredibly beneficial. When you believe you can still set things right, you must understand that while being open-minded is good, it also brings you to “hard making decisions”, leading you to passing up opportunities. So, hey, pick one.
This brings us to the paradox of choice. Here’s more information about this concept from psychologist Barry Schwartz’s “Paradox of Choice.”
Barry Schwartz, “Paradox of Choice,”.
- Analysis Paralysis
When faced with hundreds of options, we become overwhelmed. The cognitive effort required to evaluate each one—weighing the pros and cons, reading reviews, and comparing features—is immense. We get stuck in a loop of overthinking, often leading to decision fatigue and, in some cases, the inability to make a choice at all. We’d rather do nothing than risk making a “wrong” decision.
- Higher Expectations
With more choices, our expectations skyrocket. If there are 50 different blenders on the market, we assume that one of them must be absolutely perfect. We’re not just looking for a good blender; we’re searching for the best blender. This leads to an expectation of flawlessness that is almost impossible to meet. The slightest imperfection in our chosen item feels like a massive failure, not of the product, but of our own judgment.
- Increased Regret
This is perhaps the most painful part of the paradox. When we finally make a choice, we’re haunted by the “what ifs.” We can easily imagine a better outcome had we picked a different option. This feeling of buyer’s remorse is magnified by the sheer number of choices we had to pass up. We end up focusing on the lost opportunities rather than enjoying the benefits of the choice we made. We feel personally responsible for any dissatisfaction because, after all, we had so many choices—the decision was entirely ours.
Finding the “Good Enough”
So, how do we escape this cycle? Schwartz suggests we should become “satisficers” rather than “maximizers.” A maximizer is someone who feels compelled to find the absolute best option, no matter the cost in time or effort. A satisficer, on the other hand, sets a standard of “good enough” and stops looking once they find an option that meets that standard.
