Indecisive? Can't choose which movie to watch? Which job to take? Fear no more

Today it took 15 minutes to decide if I should get a sushi burrito or Cuban sandwich. Being a college student in a world of overwhelming choice makes everyday small decisions seem so hard to choose from. The things as simple as debating on taking a nap before class or deciding which bar to go to that weekend are decisions that usually take way too long to choose.

You're not alone and I am here to help. The Ted series The Way We Work offers insight on how to make faster decisions. Patrick Mcginnis helped my understanding of the dangers of FOBO (fear of a better option) and how to overcome it. That knowledge will now be passed along to you.

There's a certain thing called the “paradox of choice.”  It's the idea that too many choices often cause people more stress and less satisfaction when making a decision (McGinnis).  We all have probably felt this happen. Getting frustrated about not knowing what to pick, etc.

The problem of having endless options for almost everything causes us to over-analyze pretty much every decision we make. Being in college is already stressful enough, on top of exams, making friends, having a steady choice of income it is important to not stress about the little things like what movie to watch tonight, which I often tend to do. 

The key to quicker decision making is realizing there are only really three types of decisions in life. High stakes, low stakes, and no stakes.

Let's start with no stakes. No stake decisions have little to no consequences. This means no matter what you pick there is no incorrect answer. These are the minor details of life, things such as what to make for dinner, what show to watch before bed, etc. When struggling with deciding these small decisions flip a coin and remember there is no wrong option so don't stress!

Now, low stakes. An example of low stakes would be where to go for spring break, buying a coffee maker, etc. These decisions require some thinking but there are no make or break outcomes. When struggling with what to choose, ask someone insightful for their recommendation, and use their advice.

Lastly, high stakes. These are the important decisions, what university to attend, what house to rent, which job to accept, etc. In college, we will make some high stake decisions but occasionally. These are long term implications and your decision should truly be based on what matters to you. When choosing what to do, gather relevant facts, pick the front runner, and compare that with all other options, picking the better one each time to make the decisions easier. Also, confide in trustworthy friends and family. 

Being a college student is already stressful enough. Instead of getting caught up and over-analyzing the little things try to ground yourself on what truly is an important decision vs what isn't. 

Growing up in a generation of endless google search pages, shopping online with countless options on things as simple as beach towels, it becomes easy for lines to be blurred on what decisions should you put time into making vs what doesn't matter in the long run.

The Ted Series “The Way We Work” offers many other great skills and advice for free and as a college student that's always something I’ll never turn down. Maybe tonight we might just be able to pick that movie to watch with no hesitation.