Drowning in Decisions

I have a friend named Sam that I despise eating with. I enjoy his company, but when we’re at restaurants, I’ll sometimes excuse myself so someone else can order for me when the server comes.

Sam isn’t rude, inappropriate, or inconsiderate—he just takes for…ev…er to order. One Friday evening, we’re at a Mexican restaurant when the server returns with our drinks.

“Do we know what we’d like?”

Everyone glances around and silently agrees: nope, not yet.

“I’ll give you a few more minutes,” the server says.

Now, it’s universal knowledge that those “few minutes” are for reviewing the menu and making a decision. At a Mexican restaurant, you might even rehearse pronouncing your dish under your breath so you’re ready when asked.

A few minutes later, the server returns. It’s Sam’s turn. He smiles, looks down at the menu, and says:

“Ah man, so many choices. Tell me about the chimichangas—are they good here?”

The server patiently answers. Then comes a round of questions about the burritos, fajitas, fish tacos, and even the heat level of the salsas. fter what seems like an eternity Sam says with long, drawn out syllables, "I think I am going to go with the chimichangas."

An audible gasp escapes me, though thankfully no one notices. How can someone be so indecisive?

But Sam isn’t alone. In a poll of British adults, 58% reported being paralyzed by even minor decisions. We face this same paralysis when choosing where to eat, what app to open first, which task to tackle on our to-do list, or even who to text back.

Chronic indecision costs us time and energy, and it often leads to decision fatigue—the mental exhaustion that results in poor choices. It’s like standing at a buffet so long that we end up starving ourselves.

The first step to combating indecision is simply noticing it. Ask yourself: Am I really weighing pros and cons, or just avoiding the choice? Does this decision truly matter? Or are the consequences of delaying it worse than just deciding?

As our two minutes are up for the week, we’ll cover the second way to fight indecision in next week’s edition.

But for now, let me solve at least one decision you’ll face soon: just order the chimichangas.

Fact

Adults spend roughly 37 hours a year deciding where to eat.

Action

Choose one category in our life (clothing, food, exercise, social media) and pre-decide for that category. Lay out tomorrow's clothes, food prep, or schedule a workout class for a specific date.

Question

How does indecision affect your mood and the mood of those around you?

Quote

“More is lost by indecision than wrong decision.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero