All you have to do is open a browser these days and you can feel overwhelmed by the endless links and advertisements. It’s so easy to get confused, even intimidated, by the “ten best” of this or the “twenty best” of that. As much as AI is supposed to assist in this, it will be a while before that is true. Someone I know, for instance, searched for logo ideas the other day using artificial intelligence and it produced 9600 suggestions in the first pass.
If you have the luxury of being able to delegate these kinds of tasks, certainly ask someone else to do them. Even if it takes a minute or two to explain specifically what you’re looking for, you will save time and avoid filling your head with unnecessary information. It will also eliminate the temptation to look at just one more option or source because you don’t want to miss anything. If you say you want five options, that person will give you five options.
Unfortunately, many of us don’t have someone who can do this kind of research for us. So here is a quick four-step process to avoid getting sucked into the “endless option vortex.”
First, create a specific search question or phrase. The more specific, the fewer options will appear in the search. Searching on “backyard firepit sets in Denver, CO” is better than just searching on “firepits.” The tighter the parameters, the more time you will save.
Second, decide on a limit to your search. Five sources? Eight sources? You will never be able to gather all the information you might need. But you will be able to capture what you need to make an informed choice. Who cares if you discover later that you paid $10 too much for the item? It would not have been worth your time and stress to keep searching.
Third, put a clock to it. 10 minutes? 15 minutes? Whatever time you think you will need, shorten it by 20%, and you still get enough information. Trust me.
Fourth, acknowledge there will always be one more option! Look for recognizable and reliable sources. In most cases you will begin to see patterns in the information. Effective leaders will tell you that when you have 80% of the information you think you need, you should make a decision.
Want more time- and energy-saving ideas like this? Buy my new book, Overcoming Overwhelm: Recapture Your Time, Energy and Focus. It will be available on Amazon March 15th.