by Megan Sy, M.S.
One of the many benefits of the internet is having the ability to access large amounts of information at once. We live in a world where we can read reviews for doctors’ services, compare dozens of products, and find different ideas or suggestions for how to do anything. The accessibility of information is great in that we can become better consumers. But having all these options can also sometimes create indecision. What if there is something better out there? What if I can find something that will make me happier? What if there is a better deal available?
I recently found myself in a situation just like this as I tried to look for airline tickets. After plenty of hemming and hawing and going back forth, it occurred to me how silly it was to be doing what I was doing. It might be true that there is a better option, but it would not be the end of my world if I were to choose something that wasn’t perfect. I could live with knowing that there might be better options out there. I also realized that there could be no perfect ticket unless it were offered to me for free, with relaxed cancellation policies and the ability to fly on a nice fair-weathered day, from an airport with no lines and no waiting. It was an impossible goal.
This perspective doesn’t just apply to purchasing decisions. It applies to any decision, no matter how small or large it is. We spend so much time trying to make the perfect choice, when in reality that option might not exist or be realistic. It would be more rational if I went into decisions trying to find not the perfect choice, but the one that is good enough. Good enough, not perfect. It doesn’t have the same ring to it, but it will probably save me from all the indecision.
