Choice Galore and Their Consequences - Breathing Space Blog

For too many people, an abundance of choices has become a curse, not a blessing. In the 1984 movie, Moscow on the Hudson, the late Robin Williams portrays a Russian defector who settles in New York. He goes to the supermarket to buy some coffee. The markets he knew in Moscow were small and poorly lit. The Manhattan supermarket is dazzling. The coffee display overwhelms him – there is instant, freeze dried, dark brew, etc., in boxes, cans, and jars of different sizes and colors.

Confronted with all these choices, he has an anxiety attack, faints, falls forward, and knocks over the whole display. That scene got a big laugh, but it makes a point about our lives – too many choices. I suggest that you avoid engaging in low level decisions. If a toothbrush is available in red or green, and it's all the same to you, just grab the closest one.

Whenever you catch yourself making a low level decision, consider: Does this really make a difference? Get in the habit of making only a few choices a day – the ones that count.