Habits and Hustle - Episode 222: The Paradox of Choice: What Can You Do To Make Better Decisions

Episode Date: March 12, 2023

Do you have trouble choosing when you have too many options to choose from? I'm sure most of us do. When we're presented with multiple options and they all feel like they could be the right one, how can we make it easier to make the right choice? That's what I'm going to chat with you about in this solo episode of Habits & Hustle. I dive into the paradox of choice. This phenomenon suggests that when we have too many options to choose from, it requires more effort to make a decision and can leave us feeling unsatisfied with our choice. I share with you how to ensure you make the best choices, how you can simplify your choices, and explain how it differs from analysis paralysis. What we discuss: 01:25: What is the paradox of choice? 03:26: What do you do about it? 08:31: How can you simplify your choices? 09:46: How does it differ from analysis paralysis? 11:34: How can you simplify your choices? My links: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You're listening to Habits in Hustle. Fresh it. Welcome back to a solo episode number. I don't even know what number. I'm here with my foil, Shawnee, who is a great foil. Thank you. You're welcome. By the way, I know I'm going to say, I'm going to start this podcast differently than I normally do, and I'm going to tell everybody about a mastermind that I'm starting in how long Shawnee. A couple weeks now. In about three weeks or so. Yes. And you can go to my website at JenniferCohen.com

to get more details. And I know I'm very remiss in talking about all the things that I do, or I am doing. So when Shawnee's in front of me, it reminds me to maybe tell people once in a while so they know what the hell's going on. Am I like a walking reminder of the Facebook group? Oh, yes. And of course, please don't forget to join the Facebook group. And also, if you haven't

subscribed to the podcast, please subscribe on any channel, including YouTube and comment. Please, guys, these reviews and comments are so important for the podcast for people to know what we even exist. So please leave me a comment in a review. And with all that being said, we're going to now jump into the topic at hand. And the topic today that we're going to cover is the paradox of choice. I think this is very important because, and just to kind of tell you what the paradox of choice is, if you're not really familiar, is that too much choice can lead to decision fatigue, analysis, paralysis. So the theory, of course, then, is that too much choice is pretty much a bad thing.

And I'm a big victim of this myself. And I feel like, you know, even when you go into a huge grocery store or like a big, you know, a Walmart or whatever it is, and there's so many choices, you get so overwhelmed with what they have available and what they offer that you end up with nothing. Yeah, I was actually thinking about grocery stores as you were talking about this. Cause I think that's like the genius of Trader Joe's

is their limited options. I couldn't agree more. I couldn't agree more. Like if you just go to even like a mom, pa grocery store or shop, you know, you have like maybe one or two types of bread, you know, a couple of differentog grocery store or shop. You have like maybe one or two types of bread, you know, a couple of different types of milk or cheese or whatever.

It doesn't overwhelm you with the idea of like, you can literally sit there and stand there for days on days and hours on hours and then always have buyers remorse. Like that's what happens to me. I'm like, oh, I got this type of cheese, but maybe I should have tried the skim cheese, the Monterey Jack cheese,

the Monterey blend with mozzarella, not the one with the jack and the cavardi. Like, literally, everything now is so hybrid that it really can create such confusion. And that's like a very simple, obviously, a very water-down example, but I think this goes with a lot of things in life.

And so that's why we're talking about it today. Yeah, absolutely. And so with that being said, I have a few little notes that we've jotted down, right, Johnny? But the negative consequences of having too many options, including regret, disappointment, and this is the biggest one, decreased satisfaction with decisions. So the question is, what do we do about it? What do you do about it?

Because now there's so much of everything. There's too much of everything. News, options of who to follow. There's so many different opinions that we, I think what's happening is we are not even thinking for ourselves anymore because we hear so much in the ether of other people's thoughts, then we start to kind of regurgitate and take those those in memorize those without even knowing it and that becomes our train of thought. Oh yeah well that's but that's been happening for like all of

centuries everybody's influenced by things externally like our society influences like just because I think it's crazy that women should have to shave their armpits when men shouldn't, it doesn't mean I'm not, I didn't get laser hair removal, what should I mean? Like I still, like I know it's insane. I think it's crazy, the double standard that we can't be topless, but men can basically everywhere, but I'm not walking around topless, like freely. So I think that that happens nonstop. Is that the care that? No, but you're talking about society influencing our decisions and us not thinking anymore. So I think we never think. That's true, but that should be another podcast episode.

It should be. It should be. That is actually a very true. That's a truism also. I think that's true. Okay, paradox of choice though. You have to force yourself to not have to make. Like you have to just, you can't try yourself crazy.

It's like you always talk about, you have to just force yourself to make decisions instead of spending like 3000 hours trying to decide something. I think this goes back to even a basic point, which is know-to-know-that-self, right? You can be very easily swayed, but you should know what you like, like what your taste buds are, what you like, what you don't like, and limit your choices. And this is why what I do. I put a lot of things on autopilot. And that's why I wanted to bring this up. Because a lot of times if you put certain things

that could cause you to go down that rabbit hole and could cause this whole analysis paralysis or feeling of stuck because there's too much to choose from, when you do the same habit or doing the same thing over and over and become something that you do regardless, it doesn't allow you to sway. And so to me, that's very helpful in staying on course to what I'm trying to achieve, right? So if I'm trying to, you know, lose weight, I'm just making that up. I'll only stick to certain foods that I will allow myself to eat and not let what's not available to me to deter how I'm going to get off track.

So, to me, I think that is why I think habits are really important, structure and routine are really important, and that's why I even eat the same breakfast every day. Because left to my own devices, knowing that that is something that I will actually really mess up on my, you know, giving my own, you know, left to my own devices, because I love food. I wanted to always start my day off on the right foot, so therefore I'll always eat the same breakfast or the same two breakfast every day, so I don't like get myself go off track.

But the bigger thing is sometimes what happens, even with dating or guys, my mother would always say to me when I was younger, you know, that like too many options lead you down a bad path because you end up with nobody, right? Because if you're always looking for the grass as always greener, meet a dating app. I've actually seen one of these days.

This is for dating apps. For dating apps. But no, but it's true. It's because you can always think the grass is always greener until you see it's water bill. That's like the big thing, right? But I guess I really wanted to kind of throw this out there is always greener until you see its water bill. That's like the big thing, right? But I guess I really wanted to kind of throw this out there if people have ever felt

and feel like this is something that happens to them on a regular basis in the world we live in now. There's more choices, there's more options, dating apps, like, you know, it doesn't matter who your date was with yesterday. You could have had a great date, and it doesn't matter. It's like, okay, well, who can I go up with today? And then you end up in no relationship. That's why, by the way, I think this is the problem.

The paradox of choice is why people are not dating anymore. They don't have relationships like they used to. People are not having sex anymore. I know that's a big one too, because people get so overstimulated with what's available, then they end up literally doing nothing with nobody. Yeah, it's crazy how that's happened. I have a really good actionable item, by the way, for clothing, paradox of choice.

So, okay, a couple one is if you ever find a silhouette that you like, buy it in many colors, I do that all the time, and I think it's a really important thing. Some people think, oh, well, I already have that style I shouldn't. If you find it still about you like, please go buy it in a ton of different colors. You'll thank me later. And then the other is there's a really cool new thing that's been going around on social where people are, you can copy and paste your photos now. If you have an iPhone, I don't know if you've seen this feature.

No. But you can literally hold down a picture of you and it will copy just you like a little icon and you can paste it into your notes app and there are people who are saving all of their good outfit combinations into a notes app. So if they're ever like, oh, what should I wear? I have nothing to wear. They can go to their notes app.

They can look at their little outfit notebook and see like all the different combos and outfit combinations that they've picked over the years. I love that. And pick one. So I think that kind of stuff is like another way to sort of autopilot some of these really annoying choices that we have to deal with.

Or just simplifying your choices. That's really, it's about how to, I guess, the action item on this one is, if this is something that happens to you, then how do you simplify your choices to make this something that doesn't take over your life and where you feel like you're kind of like end up with nothing or not or decision fatigue or buyers remorse and all these things.

I love that example. It's a good one for clothing. That's why I always wear, by the way, a black taint doll and jeans as my fancy outfit. Because I am, because honestly, I don't know what to wear. It's great, I know, it's so much easier. I have so many turtlenecks, black turtlenecks. They're just the easiest outfit.

I just bought like another five black turtlenecks. It's quite a way. People make fun of me that I'm like raggedy-and because I'm like a doll that literally just wears the same outfit over. You know exactly what I'm gonna be wearing all the time. Raggedy-and was a bad example, but I'm just saying like it's literally like,

I do what you just said too, which is if I like something, I buy it in 20 colors, and I just wear the same thing over and over and over again. But then there's a whole debate, which I didn't want to even open up Pandora's box. Please open. Is that the fact is,

when you have, my message is about, take advantage of what's available to you, what's out there, what's all the options, right? And therefore, when you do that, you live a life that's way more authentic to you. Now, I want to make sure this is a point that we like really distinguish between. That is different from decision fatigue and the analysis paralysis of what happens when you have too many things to choose from. There's a different. I think a lot of what we're talking about could really kind of stunt people's ability to grow. So you have to be able to have self-awareness and reflect and see how is that stunting your life or how are you actually using to benefit your life?

How can it stun your life? Explain that. Well, what my point was, one of my philosophy overall is to basically chase the life you want, right? And take whatever, don't just take what's available. Don't just act we yes to what's in front of you, but go after what all the options are and take action. Oh, that's something. I want people not to make don't don't make the the two go hand in hand I feel like they're slightly not so connected. I mean I guess maybe there's the parents They're not always when it comes to like life choices like that But I think these are more like just all consuming over thinking choices that were Presented with every day because our society so full of stuff

You know you walk into girls your story what you're shopping online, you're this, that, and the other. It's like, for clothes also, something I do, I know my color palette. You can actually get colored, you can get tested, it's like a whole thing, and you can figure out what your color palette is. I'm glad that you mentioned that. And it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just,

it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's,

it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's me and this whole beauty regimen makeup situation, okay? Because I am terrible at skincare and beauty. I mean, it is pathetic. I don't know how to wear foundation. I don't know how to put on eyeshadow. I don't have to put on blush when I do. I look like a client. Okay, forget makeup. Everyone's a lot of people are about to make up, but skincare. Come on. Easy. No, no, no, no, no, what I'm'm gonna say is, let me just take it to the place I want to take it to. I go to Sephora to say listen to myself. I'm gonna go buy myself the basics to then be able to put on makeup on my face before I do things like this.

And I literally without a question every single time I've done that I've left with nothing. I've left with nothing in my hand because there's too many shades to choose from, there's too many palettes to choose from, and so therefore I literally just leave or what used to happen was I'd buy everything and then end up using nothing because I had no idea what to do with it. First is that they said there's one, there's three for light, medium, and dark. Now it's like a million lights, a million mediums, a million this because it's super confusing. Yeah, well, I mean, in that case, just hire a makeup artist to tell you exactly what you need to buy and then buy those things online. I think that's so much time.

That's, I'm glad that you said that too, because that is a simple action plan. Yeah, yeah, all these action plans. And that's what I've done. So I've simplified my clothing, my beauty, and my breakfast food. This episode is brought to you by Nerds Candy. Calling all the stylish, transiting nerds out there, the sneaker heads and makeup beans, the film buffs and reality TV lovers, the style icons, the pop culture geeks. When nerds come together, we live louder, celebrating our passions in our own way.

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On the chest, but who's to say I can't clip that off? The Batch Direct for years tonight, 98 Central YBC and St. Louis. I'm going to be a real fast. I'm going to be a real fast. I'm going to be a real fast. I'm going to be a real fast. I'm going to be a real fast. I'm going to be a real fast. You dirty. Are you kidding? It roses on the chest, but who's to say I can't clip that off? Oh!

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but they can literally take over and consume some people's lives every single day with these choices. So honestly, I think streamlining them opens you up to be able to do the other thing that you're talking about, which is going and getting the life that you want and not acquiescing to things, because you're not worried about like, oh, what do I wear? What do I do this? You have actionable items to be able to help you make those decisions super fast and save a bunch of time. And at the end of the day, time is the only commodity that you literally can't buy more of. It's the most important thing in this world. So, quickly, just to conclude what you do when you have this paradox of choice, which is

probably all of us at some point of our lives or in one way or another or all the time, is you want to limit, like set limitations, you want to like create some kind of parameters of what you're looking for. So you're not getting into that decision, you know, that decision fatigue. And when you're walking into something, you have a parameters, you've set already. Also, trust your instincts. Know yourself, set priorities. So you're not just really nearly going into it. We gave this stuff about putting things on autopilot, such as one meal a day, or like you were saying about the you were saying, but also I wear the same outfit all the time for you. Know what you're looking for when you walk into a store,

so know, because I think more, sometimes more information you have before you make a decision really helps making a better decision. Growth-relist, super important. Following a growth-relist, a makeup list, ask experts, ask people who are really strong in a certain area to maybe help guide you. So you're not just like willy-nilling it, like I do with makeup.

That's just my example, of course. And the other thing you were saying was, of course, about the fact of, I love making those outfits and putting them into notes. That's a really good idea, too. So there's a lot of ways we can kind of create our situations where we're not going to be dealing with that analysis paralysis and the overwhelming amount of information and things and stuff that we can choose from.

Make it easy on yourself. Make it easy on yourself and create these parameters. It will make a major difference. Again, that's just 101. So hopefully that was somewhat helpful. And that's it. Let's wrap this up with, of course, subscribe. Leave me a review, a comment, and of course, join the Facebook group, and of course, for more information, go to JenniferCoin.com, follow me on Instagram, and we're out. Bye-bye.

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