Less is more
Another evening, my wife sits on the couch with the remote in her hand. She starts another "what should I watch today" ritual. The trending Netflix page is on the display; every trailer is being watched one after another. After 15 minutes, ultimately she selects none of it and goes back to her "comfort" shows rewatch (Brooklyn 99 or Grey's Anatomy is a usual choice).
Why is it happening? Nothing is interesting enough? There are too many choices?
Or is it because the process of making a decision itself is so exhausting that it drains what's left of our energy?
It has a name:
As a result, we select something that we are comfortable with that does not require additional mental resources. In the worst-case scenario we go back to mindless scrolling on the phone. We want to have multiple options, but at the same time, too many options cause anxiety.
What do I try to do?
Rule #1 - Once a decision is made, stop analyzing it.
Don’t go back, don’t ask “what if”, don’t overthink it, don't look at other options—it’s written in stone. I try to do this with all my choices, from what books I should read next to whether I should buy or sell stock or if the apartment that we bought was a good choice. It’s done; stop thinking about it.
Rule #2 - Commit to your choices.
Once I select a book, I have to finish it, no matter how boring it is. It may take a long time; I may have to take a break for a week or two. Still, I always go back and finish it. Same with games, I have to complete the game before picking up another one. Do I spread watching one movie over a single week? You bet I do.
Rule #3 - Make reasonable choices.
What a time to be alive. We have endless choices but very limited time to consume them. I try to put some criteria to my selection. In general I don’t jump to the next shining thing promoted by marketing and algorithms (Netflix trending pages, display bookshelves, or game advertisements). I select something more established and critically acclaimed, usually released at least 3-5 years ago. If something is still being watched, read, or played after 5, 10, 15 or 50 years (movies and books), it’s a good choice. It’s not a temporary trend or the newest gimmick.
Still sometimes I make emotional decisions and select a book or movie by just looking at the cover.
Then I stick to rule #1 and #2. This adds some randomness to my life. ;)