Too Many Choices

Is it possible to have too many choices? You might not think so yet the many choices we have today cause us to be overloaded, stressed, and less satisfied with our lives according to Barry Schwartz, author of "The Paradox of Choice."

Here's a way to be clearer and more at ease with life's many choices.

Choices, Choices, Choices

Today we have many choices that weren't available to people 20 years ago or even five years ago. From products and services we can purchase to lifestyle, education, or romance, the possibilities are nearly endless.

For example, think about your grocery store. If it's anything like mine, there's an entire aisle of cereal, shelves of crackers, twenty or more toothpaste offerings, and so on. Whatever product you're looking for you'll find many (perhaps too many!) options.

A friend of mine had an experience of too many options at the grocery store when she went to buy formula for her newborn son. Confronted by 20 different varieties and brands, she had no idea which one was best. Reduced to tears she phoned a pediatric nurse for help.

What about the choices when you're ready for a new chapter in your life? Again, you have many options: retirement, a new career, moving, volunteering, pursuing a passion, relationship changes, and more. Within each of these options lie further choices such as where to move, what volunteer work to do, which passion to pursue, or what new career.

Many of my clients come to me because they have so many choices about what they could do with their lives that they get stuck. They can't figure out which options to pursue.

The Good and the Bad of Choices

Having choices can be wonderful, liberating, and exciting. Choices allow us to take charge of our lives, express ourselves, improve the quality of our lives, and get more of what we need and want. Living in a world without choices would be nearly unbearable.

Yet when we have so many choices, it's easy to become confused, overwhelmed, and even paralyzed. There is a point at which choice debilitates rather than liberates.

What You Can Do

So, what can you do in a world with so many choices? Cut through the confusion and reduce the overload by following your "lights."

"Lights" are a visible and audible reflection of your energy. They tell you what energizes and enlivens you, what makes you more alive, what you love, what you're passionate about.

You can use what lights you up as your internal GPS, your compass to guide you in significant choices (what to do next with your life) and in small choices (where to go for dinner).

In Your Life

If, in this world of so many possibilities, you'd like to use your lights to guide your choices, here are two suggestions.

• Create a "lights on" vision for your life, a vision that energizes and enlivens you.

  Forget the "shoulds," obligations, or other people's ideas. What do you really want? Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? What matters to you? What has meaning?

  Let this vision guide you as you make choices.

• Check your lights.

  When you are making a choice, ask yourself "Does this light me up?" or "Which choice has more energy, more light?"

  Sometimes you know the answer right away.

  Other times you may need a few minutes to go deeper inside yourself. Pause, take a breath, quiet your mind, ask the question again, and stay curious.

  If you're still not clear, it may not be time to make this choice. Let it go for a while and come back to it later.

The choices you make create your experience of life. If you want to make clear, life-enhancing choices, use what lights you up as your guide.

Enjoy!