The Curse of Multiple Choices; The Perception of Options

I stood in the brightly lit supermarket aisle, staring at rows of cereal boxes stacked neatly from floor to ceiling. There are at least fifty options, each promising something unique: whole grain goodness, sugar-free indulgence, extra crunch, or exotic flavours. What should have been a two-minute decision had stretched into ten. My basket hung limply at my side as I scanned labels, weighed pros and cons, and tried to silence the nagging voice in my head: Just pick one! But the voice was drowned out by another, whispering that I might pick the wrong one or miss out on a better option.

Hard Choices

This wasn’t an isolated moment. Just last week, I spent hours scrolling through Netflix, only to end up watching nothing at all. The same paralysis seeps into weightier and life-altering decisions, like job offers, vacation plans, and even choosing whom to date. It feels more challenging to choose these days, as the stakes seem much higher amidst seemingly multiple options. And I’ve realised something over the years: abundance is often an illusion. Until you’re sure you’ve made the most of your options, the abundance feels like a mirage, a cruel trick that leaves you wondering if you’ve walked away with the worst choice of all.

We all recognise this dilemma. In a world overflowing with options, we’ve been conditioned to believe that more choice leads to better outcomes. Yet the opposite often happens: as options multiply, choosing becomes harder, and our satisfaction wanes. Researchers call this the paradox of choice.

At its root is cognitive overload. Our brains can comfortably weigh a few possibilities, but when the list grows too long, decision-making becomes draining. We overthink, second-guess, and worry about missing the elusive “best” option. It’s why it took me months to buy a new laptop. I spent hours comparing specs, reading reviews, and hunting for the perfect combination of features. The abundance of choice didn’t empower me; it overwhelmed me.

But everyday decisions aren’t the hardest ones. A few years ago, I found myself weighing three excellent job offers. Each promised stability, a substantial salary, and stability. After a traumatic startup experience, I had been deliberate in seeking roles that felt secure. Yet when the offers finally arrived, I froze. I drew up endless pros and cons, filled pages with “what ifs,” and agonised for days. Psychologists call this analysis paralysis, when overthinking becomes immobilising. The more I analysed, the more terrified I became of choosing wrong. What if I picked the wrong job? What if I only realised later that another option had been better?

While I pride myself on being analytical, my struggle wasn’t with decision-making but with the fear of the unknown behind the outcomes of the wrong decision. Decisions are inherently forward-looking, and no amount of historical data can fully predict the future. I’ve realised that I handle the consequences of fate, which was out of my control, better than the regret of knowing I could have done something differently. As a faith-based person, I turn to prayer when analysis reaches its limits. I ask for clarity and trust that doors not meant for me will close naturally. This approach helps me let go of regret, as I find the outcomes of fate far easier to accept when I know I’ve put in my best effort, even if things don’t go as planned. This is a strategy that has worked brilliantly, freeing me from the endless cycle of what-ifs. I can walk away with my head held high, unburdened by second-guessing, self-doubt and regrets.

This is why I call it “the curse of multiple choices”. The curse isn’t the abundance itself but how we approach it. In a world of options, we can’t evaluate every possibility or predict every outcome. Instead, we must focus on what truly matters, set boundaries, and trust our instincts. Freedom doesn’t lie in unlimited choices but in learning to navigate them clearly and confidently. The art of decision-making or narrowing in on multiple choices is less about getting it right perfectly and more about careful considerations and being at peace with whatever outcome. And sometimes, peace is as simple as picking the cereal that feels right in the moment.

In a recent podcast with Trevor Noah, Simon Sinek suggested a practical solution: group choices into pairs and eliminate one at a time. Choosing between two variables is far easier than facing a sea of options. This advice, I am eager to try. What about you? How do you navigate multiple choices? Have you found strategies that work? Share your thoughts. I’d love to hear them.