Let Go Of Some Options?

February 29, 2008

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Overstretched and trying to do too many things? For most people besides the usual family, job, house, chores etc., there is a long list of things that they are trying to do. There is an interesting article in the NYT about human nature and wanting to keep all our options open, and how this is not necessarily a good thing.

The article quotes research that suggests even when it is clearly a bad choice we will often still continue to do something. It seems that we hate letting go of options, even when some of the options can have a negative impact. These negative impacts include overstretching our time, not making decisions that would mean letting go of options, flitting about and not concentrating on anything. We have a “just in case” mentality.

Holding onto options is well illustrated by how decisions are often made about products. We tend to upgrade rather than downgrade. A great example of this occurred a few months ago. My friend Delia, has access to computers at work but wanted a home computer. She asked me to look at a website with her so she could look at the range of features available and decide what she might need. Delia is your very basic computer user. She uses the computer for email, searches, and the occasional YouTube video. My mother is much more computer savvy and interested than Delia.

Looking at the website, I suggested a basic package with moderate sized hard drive, speed etc. Going through the options presented on the website, she decided she wanted a large hard drive, very fast processors, better mouse and lots of other bigger and better stuff. The computer she designed was appropriate for a hard core gamer. I told her she didn’t need all the upgrades.

A week later she bought a computer through a program at her work. It is a very nice high-end computer. Now, a few months later, she usually uses it less than an hour a week, mainly for searches, since she does email at work. I asked her if she has ever bought anything on line. She hasn’t.

Even though Delia knew that she did not need all the options (upgrades), she had to have them, just in case.

The NYT articles is The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors.

photo credit: Iain Cuthbertson