Minimise your outcomes to make better choices

There are many choices to make. Many roads to travel. Things to buy and many ways to spend your time. You have different jobs to work, and where to work them. Friends, partners, relationships, who to spend time with, and who to leave behind. Do we always make good choices? Of course not. But we should always be looking to improve our decision making, and lead ourselves on a better path. 

Not that kind of decision tree

There is a paradox of choice, where we believe that being presented with multiple options makes it easier to choose one that we are happy with. However, the more options we have, we actually feel more dissatisfied with our final choice. As complexity in our decision tree increases, our likelihood to make the best decision decreases. This can make it harder to even make a choice, and we may suffer paralysis from analysis. How do you choose a new car from the thousands of models to choose from? And then colour, and then extra’s? It can feel overwhelming. 

Not a good place to hide in the middle of a bushfire

So how do we minimise our endless number of options? We need to look for shortcuts, or design our own system of ‘best practice decisions’’. Does it suit our functional needs? Will our choice give us results that last as long as we need? Does our decision stand the test of time? You'll make your own system that suits you. Something that can lessen the effects of the world’s inevitable outcome overload. 

At least they know what they want

The abundance of outcomes also decreases the uniqueness of any decision. If many people can buy the same thing as you, or reach the same conclusion, then the outcome becomes more ordinary. As such, items and choices that are truly unique become much more valuable. Just look at the variation and quantity of designer stores that rage in the western world. I’m not saying these items are bad, but if you want something unique, then you must reflect on what makes something unique.