Ever spent 45 minutes staring at a menu, only to order the same burger you always get because the pressure to try something new was just too much? Or spent weeks picking out a planner to “get your life together,” only to forget it in a drawer because you couldn’t decide which pen to use? That’s the game we play when we obsess over every little choice. It’s not productivity. The more time you spend trying to make the “perfect” decision, the less satisfying that decision feels. By the time you’re done overthinking, you’re too tired to even enjoy the damn thing. The solution isn’t to research harder or try to find “the one.” It’s to stop giving a shit about perfect. It’s to embrace something called satisficing. What The F** is Satisficing? Satisficing is making a decision that’s “good enough” and moving the hell on. It’s not about settling for mediocrity, but realizing that chasing perfection is like trying to catch a cloud—you’ll waste a lot of time and still end up empty-handed. Herbert A. Simon, a cognitive psychologist and economist, coined the term. Probably while shaking his head at people like us who spend three hours reading Amazon reviews for a toaster. And guess what? Science backs this up: The Paradox of Choice: More options don’t make us happier. They make us anxious, indecisive, and way more likely to regret whatever we finally pick.


The Jam Experiment: People who had six kinds of jam to choose from were way happier (and more decisive) than people faced with 24 options. Turns out, the human brain short-circuits when faced with too much choice. So, if you’re drowning in decisions, satisficing is your life raft. How to Start Satisficing Here’s a no-BS, 3-step plan to stop overthinking and start making decisions like a sane person: Cut the Choices
Keep your options under 6. Anything more than that and you’re setting yourself up for a spiral of indecision.
Whether it’s picking a frying pan, a laptop, or a date idea, the fewer options, the better.

Set a Timer
Decisions don’t need to take forever.

Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes.


Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon


When the timer goes off, pick something and don’t look back.


Focus on What Actually Matters
Stop comparing the fine print. Identify the top 2-3 things you care about, and ignore the rest.Example: Buying a laptop? Focus on battery life, weight, and price. Don’t waste time debating whether it comes in rose gold or space gray. Why This Works Because obsessing over the “perfect” choice is just fear in disguise. You’re not trying to find the best restaurant. You’re trying to avoid regret. You’re not looking for the perfect job. You’re afraid of making a mistake. But here’s the thing: You will make mistakes. And they won’t kill you. Done beats perfect. Every. Single. Time. How I Stopped Being a Human Spreadsheet Back when I first started writing, I spent weeks—literal weeks—researching the “perfect” tools. Which app should I use? What’s the best pen for jotting down ideas? Should I get a standing desk or a sitting one? (I bought neither and just wrote on the couch.) Meanwhile, I wasn’t actually writing. I was just preparing to write, which is a fancy way of saying I was procrastinating. Eventually, I gave up. Opened a blank Google Doc. Started typing. Those first drafts were garbage. But you know what? Garbage drafts beat no drafts. Satisficing saved me from myself. Perfection is Doing There’s this famous story about a pottery class. The teacher split the students into two groups. One group was graded on quantity—just make as many pots as possible. The other was graded on quality—they only had to make one pot, but it had to be perfect. Guess which group ended up making the best pots? The quantity group. Why? Because they actually did the work. They experimented, failed, learned, and improved. The quality group? They spent all their time theorizing about perfection instead of getting their hands dirty. That’s the thing about perfectionism: It doesn’t lead to progress. It leads to paralysis. The painters who paint, the writers who write, the creators who create—these are the people who win. Not because they were perfect on the first try, but because they kept trying. Satisficing isn’t just about saving time. It’s about building momentum. Momentum that leads to action. Action that leads to mastery. Stop waiting for perfect. Start making pots. Until next time, Ben ‍ Ever spent 45 minutes staring at a menu, only to order the same burger you always get because the pressure to try something new was just too much? Or spent weeks picking out a planner to “get your life together,” only to forget it in a drawer because you couldn’t decide which pen to use? That’s the game we play when we obsess over every little choice. obsess over every little choice. It’s not productivity. The more time you spend trying to make the “perfect” decision, the less satisfying that decision feels. By the time you’re done overthinking, you’re too tired to even enjoy the damn thing. The solution isn’t to research harder or try to find “the one.” It’s to stop giving a shit about perfect. stop giving a shit It’s to embrace something called satisficing. satisficing. What The F** is Satisficing? What The F** is Satisficing? Satisficing is making a decision that’s “good enough” and moving the hell on. It’s not about settling for mediocrity, but realizing that chasing perfection is like trying to catch a cloud—you’ll waste a lot of time and still end up empty-handed. Herbert A. Simon , a cognitive psychologist and economist, coined the term. Probably while shaking his head at people like us who spend three hours reading Amazon reviews for a toaster. Herbert A. Simon And guess what? Science backs this up: The Paradox of Choice: More options don’t make us happier. They make us anxious, indecisive, and way more likely to regret whatever we finally pick. The Jam Experiment: People who had six kinds of jam to choose from were way happier (and more decisive) than people faced with 24 options. Turns out, the human brain short-circuits when faced with too much choice. The Paradox of Choice: More options don’t make us happier. They make us anxious, indecisive, and way more likely to regret whatever we finally pick. The Paradox of Choice : More options don’t make us happier. They make us anxious, indecisive, and way more likely to regret whatever we finally pick. The Paradox of Choice The Jam Experiment: People who had six kinds of jam to choose from were way happier (and more decisive) than people faced with 24 options. Turns out, the human brain short-circuits when faced with too much choice. The Jam Experiment : People who had six kinds of jam to choose from were way happier (and more decisive) than people faced with 24 options. Turns out, the human brain short-circuits when faced with too much choice. The Jam Experiment So, if you’re drowning in decisions, satisficing is your life raft. How to Start Satisficing How to Start Satisficing Here’s a no-BS, 3-step plan to stop overthinking and start making decisions like a sane person: Cut the Choices
Keep your options under 6. Anything more than that and you’re setting yourself up for a spiral of indecision.
Whether it’s picking a frying pan, a laptop, or a date idea, the fewer options, the better. Set a Timer
Decisions don’t need to take forever.

Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes.


Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon


When the timer goes off, pick something and don’t look back. Focus on What Actually Matters
Stop comparing the fine print. Identify the top 2-3 things you care about, and ignore the rest.Example: Buying a laptop? Focus on battery life, weight, and price. Don’t waste time debating whether it comes in rose gold or space gray. Cut the Choices Keep your options under 6. Anything more than that and you’re setting yourself up for a spiral of indecision. Whether it’s picking a frying pan, a laptop, or a date idea, the fewer options, the better. Cut the Choices Cut the Choices Keep your options under 6. Anything more than that and you’re setting yourself up for a spiral of indecision. Whether it’s picking a frying pan, a laptop, or a date idea, the fewer options, the better. Set a Timer Decisions don’t need to take forever. Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes.


Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon When the timer goes off, pick something and don’t look back. Set a Timer Set a Timer Decisions don’t need to take forever. Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes. Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes. Small decisions (like which pair of socks to buy): 5 minutes. Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon Bigger decisions (like what car to get): an afternoon When the timer goes off, pick something and don’t look back. Focus on What Actually Matters Stop comparing the fine print. Identify the top 2-3 things you care about, and ignore the rest. Example: Buying a laptop? Focus on battery life, weight, and price. Don’t waste time debating whether it comes in rose gold or space gray. Focus on What Actually Matters Focus on What Actually Matters Stop comparing the fine print. Identify the top 2-3 things you care about, and ignore the rest. Example: Buying a laptop? Focus on battery life, weight, and price. Don’t waste time debating whether it comes in rose gold or space gray. Why This Works Why This Works Because obsessing over the “perfect” choice is just fear in disguise. You’re not trying to find the best restaurant. You’re trying to avoid regret. You’re not looking for the perfect job. You’re afraid of making a mistake. But here’s the thing: You will make mistakes. And they won’t kill you. You will make mistakes. And they won’t kill you. Done beats perfect. Every. Single. Time. How I Stopped Being a Human Spreadsheet How I Stopped Being a Human Spreadsheet Back when I first started writing, I spent weeks—literal weeks—researching the “perfect” tools. Which app should I use? What’s the best pen for jotting down ideas? Should I get a standing desk or a sitting one? (I bought neither and just wrote on the couch.) Meanwhile, I wasn’t actually writing. I was just preparing to write, which is a fancy way of saying I was procrastinating. preparing Eventually, I gave up. Opened a blank Google Doc. Started typing. Those first drafts were garbage. But you know what? Garbage drafts beat no drafts. Satisficing saved me from myself. Perfection is Doing Perfection is Doing There’s this famous story about a pottery class. The teacher split the students into two groups. One group was graded on quantity—just make as many pots as possible. The other was graded on quality—they only had to make one pot, but it had to be perfect. Guess which group ended up making the best pots? The quantity group. quantity Why? Because they actually did the work. They experimented, failed, learned, and improved. The quality group? did They spent all their time theorizing about perfection instead of getting their hands dirty. That’s the thing about perfectionism: It doesn’t lead to progress. It leads to paralysis. The painters who paint, the writers who write, the creators who create—these are the people who win. Not because they were perfect on the first try, but because they kept trying . kept trying Satisficing isn’t just about saving time. It’s about building momentum. Momentum that leads to action. Action that leads to mastery. Satisficing Stop waiting for perfect. Start making pots. Until next time, Ben ‍

You'll Never Meet Your Deadline (Unless You Fix This)

Saying "Yes" Is Killing Your Happiness

Get the Overthinker’s Mastery Guide

Too Long; Didn't Read

Boost your HackerNoon story @ $159.99! 🚀

You're Overthinking It

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Untitled Story

A “Don’t Do” List Can Change Your Life

Why We Make Bad Choices and How to Fight Back

10 Entrepreneurial Mindset Notes

#1 — From Ideation to Landing Page

12 Podcasts to Make You Think Like the Top 0.01%

A “Don’t Do” List Can Change Your Life

Why We Make Bad Choices and How to Fight Back

10 Entrepreneurial Mindset Notes

#1 — From Ideation to Landing Page

12 Podcasts to Make You Think Like the Top 0.01%

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps