Too much abundance and not enough momentum
Everything’s pretty quiet. You’re breathing. We’re slowing down. It’s vacation time.
And certain intentions come to the fore:
“Come on, now’s the time. I’m finally going to write that doc, relaunch that project, mount that campaign.” Or: “I’m going to start running again, swimming, singing…”
But when it’s time to start, you project yourself and, block!
From the very first second: which app? Which method? Which support? Which voice to listen to? Which outfit?
Too many options. Too many opinions. Too many tools. And underneath this overflow, this stinging doubt: what if I wasn’t good enough, capable enough to take on this project?
It happens to me too. Three tabs open, a bit of scrolling, a template I’m reluctant to resume… a mental storm, everything’s in turmoil. And I’m already feeling tired before I’ve even started.
It’s not the lack that stops us; it’s the unfiltered excess.
Some abundances elevate. Others disperse.
In this article, I refer to the last three kinds of abundance.
You’ve been there. The question then becomes: how do we choose, here and now, without losing ourselves?
Discernment: filtering before acting
Discernment is the ability to avoid hesitating indefinitely. It’s knowing how to consciously set a filter before taking the plunge. Three points of reference are all you need to clarify without getting bogged down:
- Context (where I am): what’s really relevant in this particular scene (not in general, not tomorrow, just here and now)?
- The cycle (when I am): am I in a phase of exploration, production or recovery? (our inner energy level has a great influence on our choices).
- The means at hand (what I’m working with): what do I already have at hand that makes it possible to take a step today?
Discernment embodies this ecology of attention, far beyond moral abstraction.
The inner compass: intention > attention
When everything in front of you is holding your ATTENTION, come back to your INTENTION. The nuance is subtle. Naming what you want to honor today changes the quality of your choice.
Answer these two statements:
– What I want to serve today: an idea, a person, a value, a promise.
– What I refuse to sacrifice: integrity, health, presence, time.
Your inner compass doesn’t shout louder than the world; it guides you better, allowing you to do less, but in a fairer, more aligned way.
Three techniques to choose from
The SMD trio
People think that choosing the right choice means finding the best option in a mountain of possibilities. Not at all! If you believe that, you’ll fall into the “analysis-paralysis” syndrome. No, to choose is to take a step and assume it.
Here’s a very concrete model to help you decide on the spot:
–> One step: what’s the minimum viable action that will move reality in 30-60 minutes?
–> A milestone: how far am I willing to give to take this step (time, energy, image)? (milestone = safety limit)
–> A deadline: when do I stop choosing and start? (e.g. in 10 min I’ve chosen)
This SMD trio (pas / borne / échéance) cuts through the siren song of abundance and brings you back to the present.
The 3 decision filters
Once again, and I insist, when you’re faced with too many options, don’t try to comb through them all. Grab a pencil and filter with your gut and intuition – so quickly – using these three binary questions (yes, no):
–> Is it aligned with what I really want and makes sense?
Not what I think is expected of me. Not what I think I should be doing. What I, my role, my function want to focus on this season / this cycle.
–> Do I want to put my energy into it now?
Enthusiasm is not an infinite resource. If it’s “yes” but not right now, then make a note of it, but don’t throw away the option.
–> Does it really move anything important?
A small step in the right direction is better than a sprint in a vacuum!
These filters don’t give you certainty. They give you clarity. And sometimes, that’s all you need to get started.
The “good enough” rule
Herbert Simon called this untranslatable “s a t i s f i c i n g”, a verb describing that it satisfies, that it’s OK. Choosing an option that’s “good enough” instead of finding perfection causes satisficing!
Why? Because the more you want to optimize every parameter, the more you rack your brains, the more you waste executive brain bandwidth, and the more you postpone the decision and the more your energy flows into the details.
A good or sufficiently good choice is:
– in line with your values,
– feasible with your current resources,
– and not irreversible if you need to adjust, and you probably will! (Read my article on the Cynefin model)
You gain in speed. You reduce mental fatigue. And you move forward. Yes 💪!
💡 Bonus technique: keep only 3 options
Howard Moskowitz, famous for his work on taste diversity, reminds us that when faced with an enormous range, deliberately limiting your choice to three options enables you to decide faster and with greater satisfaction. Too much variety blurs perception. Three options is enough to feel you’ve chosen without drowning.
And three is the magic number for remembering everything 😂!
Also check out Malcolm Gladwell’s TED talk on choice, or Barry Schwartz ‘s TED talk on choice, I know you’ll laugh!
So what’s in it for you?
You’ve got it, making the right decision doesn’t mean you’ve analyzed everything without fail.
To make an informed choice in the abundance of options on offer calls for the notion of intention and framing. Because, as Eva Illouz brilliantly explains in her recent book “Explosive modernity”, chapter 1, our society is built on the emotion of disappointment! And that’s all there is to it!
You can try to evaluate all the options, but you won’t get the satisfaction you’re looking for. On the other hand, when you eliminate the options that don’t count, you choose the ones that meet the need of the present situation, and that deserve your time and energy right now. Because you’re the boss!
By practicing the “good enough” rule and voluntarily limiting yourself to three options, you’ll see your mental space open up and your mental load lighten. Choosing becomes a movement, not a blockage. Yes, good enough is good enough.
What will you choose this week?🙂
