Most of
us, whatever may be our constraints and wherever we may live on this ever
shrinking planet—constricted, plugged in and wired up—hemmed in on all sides by
cutting-edge tech breakthroughs, have one thing in common: the daily battle
with a plethora of choices.
That
choice gives us the power to choose what’s best for us is a given. As a kid, I
enjoyed choosing comics containing my favorite character over a couple of
others that I didn’t even bother to throw a glance at. But the same joy can
easily turn into misery if the choices on offer were to increase manifold. The
sight of any reasonably busy adult confused while being transfixed in front of
the idiot box, moving back and forth between channels furiously undecided
should be proof enough.
Why does
the liberating idea called “choice” quite often shackle the very liberating
thought that it brings forth? Is it that the extended array is more demanding
of your time, prolonging the satiation of your need? Or, is it the fact that
most of the choices on offer differ marginally from one another and as such
hardly warrant your attention? The zeroing in on a particular choice just takes
the fun out of swiftly picking up what catches your attention. The higher the number
of choices the greater is the time and effort required to sift through them and
eliminate the undesirables. This is an intellectually draining task.
So, is
there a way out? I mean have the cake and eat it too!
Sort the ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of It
Getting
to know your real need is half the job done. Are you craving for a 4-wheel
drive just because your neighbour’s garage houses the latest thing on four
wheels when all that you need is a nifty small car? Does your childhood pal’s
membership in a premium club make you want to beg, borrow, and steal a
monstrous amount to foot the membership charge?
To decide what you really need
and why, run yourself through these questions:
“Why am
I feeling less than happy?”
“Am I
feeling low because of something missing in my life at this point in time?”
“Is this desire just a passing thought or does
it hint at a real need”?
“Will I
feel satisfied once this desire is fulfilled?”
Shortlist the Probable Choices
With
your need defined, it should be easy to mark out the ones that make the cut
(keep it manageably short) and shut out the rest.
Size It Up Through Your Pet Prism
Let’s
face it: each of us has that one constraint that weighs heavily—money, space,
health or anything else under the sun—and/or that one sentiment that lords over
everything else connected with a particular need (being candid and
self-centered really helps). Map your need to the choices on offer through your
pet prism and there you are, go for the one that maps straight and clear. You have
hit bull’s eye. The rest will be history, littered with choices that didn’t win
your favour.
