Maximizing Less

Yesterday, someone asked me what my new year’s resolution was (jokingly… at fiscal year end), but it made me think about a concept I’ve been wrestling with the past few months.

My resolution is to maximize less and satisfice more.

If you’re a personality test collector, the word satisficing might not be new to you, but I promise, I didn’t make it up. It’s been around since at least 1985… like me! ;) 

Satisficing is a decision-making tendency based on our personality; the alternative is maximizing. So, people tend to be maximizers or satisficers. To simplify it, maximizers want the “best”, and satisficers are content to stop searching for “good enough.”

It’s important to not confuse satisficing with settling. A satisficer can set the bar really high, but a maximizer will wonder if there’s a higher bar out there to be met.

Maximizers go into Baskin Robbins and need to try all 31 flavors before they pick a favorite. Satisficers can try a handful and when they find one they like, they’ll be completely satisfied with that flavor and don’t give it another thought. The maximizer would worry they missed out on something.

Hi my name is Langley, and I’m a maximizer. I’ve maximized most of my decisions for my entire life. This is my (exhausting) process: identify all the options, research, analyze the data, tentatively decide, change my mind a billion times, look for more options or input, and then finally cringe and decide. Sounds fun, huh?! Ha! Want to know how many mattresses I tested before buying one? I won’t tell you… it’s embarrassing.

Honestly, looking in from the outside, it has worked really well for me. I’ve been able to attain what I have determined is the “best” and I’m super well informed about the most random things.

But the bummer about maximizers? They aren’t happy; they’re stressed. They second-guess themselves all of the time. They HATE making decisions.

So… how will I work on satisficing? 

• I’m going to be still. In the stillness I can take inventory of what is truly important. 

• I’m going to be grateful. Gratitude literally changes the chemicals in the brain. I’ll ride that dopamine & serotonin wave until I’m out of my own head.

• I’m going to pray. Because sometimes we just aren’t strong enough on our own.

Are there decisions in your life you are trying to maximize, but should be satisficing? 

I wish us all contentment.