There was a time when I had 5 sarees in my wardrobe and two silk ones carefully preserved for special wear. And I was never at a loss about ‘what to wear’. Today my shelf is overflowing with clothes and I catch myself saying ‘I have nothing to wear’!!
I walk into a store and find 6 flower vases on display and I need to choose a gift. One is beyond reach, 2 are straight away NO NO … so I practically have to select one of three. Aaah! Done in a jiffy. A no brainer!
Have you been to a shop that overwhelms you with choices? I went to this small shop to buy a lipstick the other day. 30 different specimens are on the tray. The salesgirl kills me with sweetness and loads me with information. I try them all. My wrist is a colourful palette. Finally I fail to make a decision, and turn away promising the sweet lady to return later. She is helpful and gives me so many options.
But that is my undoing. My thoughts become befuddled. My mind begins to wander. Perhaps unable to assimilate so much at a given moment it tires and forces me to opt out. I notice that this applies to any decision making process.
Sometimes we think so much we land with an alarming array of 'what will happen ifs...'. Then we become confused and are at loss to freeze on the best action.
What we need to do when faced with crushing options is to weed away those that don’t really count. Bring the options to a manageable 3 or 4. Now apply your mind to these four issues. And bang! The decision is made.
How do you know which is wheat and which is chaff? Well you don't all the time know that. Still, the process helps you get to your gut feeling. And that is good.
Or you could
Read Malcom Gladwell in BLINK.
do you know , now a days , my wife gives me only ten minutes to select a shirt or tie what ever it is, in a shop, othewrise i have to find her in the next shop !! Your write up is nice.
ReplyDeletehehe! good one! this is SO true! if i visit 10 stores before deciding what to buy I come home tired and empty handed! but if i go only to my favorite store i come home pocket empty!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder the retailers have so many options: They get you confused and then provide the answer…”May I suggest that you go with this one…and this one...”
Wow. Stumbled into this by accident. I thought it was going to end with some leftist arguments but I was mistaken :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, nice read and nicer still to have e-bumped into my high school English teacher.
S.V.