My clients are personally important to me, and often the feeling is mutual. Today, for example, I had lunch with a client I’ve grown very fond of. Somehow, we got to talking about everyday life and the special things that are sometimes found in the ordinary. For example, there are moments that make everyday life seem so unnecessarily complex—moments that require decisions when you least expect them, catching you completely off guard.
She said to me, “It’s just like with jam! There you are, standing in front of the shelf with all these different kinds. Fruit with star anise, with cinnamon, with high and low fruit content, with sugar and stevia—a whole wall of jam. You’re practically overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. But really, all you want is some jam!”
How wonderful it would be if one of the jars were waiting for us, ready to be picked up and right at our fingertips, saying, “Take me with you—I’m just your kind of thing! Delicious and simply jam.” Who knows what else digitalization has in store for us.
My client then added, “That’ll just end up with me having four half-empty jars at home.”
I think the jam example is great. It’s so wonderfully true to life and shows me—and perhaps you, too—how the world around us works right now:
Maybe that’s why there’s a trend of people making their own jam again…
We won’t be able to change the situation in the jam market. But we can make a difference in our own personal decision-making. The jam example can certainly be applied to other everyday decision-making situations.
A checklist that isn’t always meant to be taken entirely seriously—maybe you’d like to give it a try:
In any case, you can ask yourself: To what extent does my choice of jam reflect my decision-making behavior, and am I willing to embrace this challenge as a way to improve myself and my decision-making skills?
I don’t want to overwhelm you with a technical lecture at this point. So I’ll draw on insights from neurobiology and psychology to offer some practical classifications and tips—see if you recognize yourself in any of them:
The “Just Make the Right Decision” Type: Do you tend to analyze things thoroughly and want to avoid making mistakes? Try to listen more closely to your inner voice and tune into what you’re feeling. Pay attention to positive physical cues, such as a pleasant, spreading sensation in your stomach or your “mouth watering.”
The “Everything’s great, I’ve got to have it all” type: Do you tend to make impulse purchases, or act on a whim? Then try to plan your projects more carefully, because we all know that a plan can work wonders in helping you get from where you are now to where you want to be.
The “Planning Is Half the Battle” Type: Do you tend to plan and follow through on those plans, checking items off your to-do list? Do you sometimes feel like you’re on a hamster wheel? Then try adopting a slightly more laid-back attitude. Am I in tune with what I’m doing right now? Does it make sense for me to act this way and not any other way?
The “I’m at peace with myself” type: Congratulations—that sounds great at first. However, balanced decision-making requires not only self-awareness but also planning and a desire for action. While focusing on meaning and self-awareness, it’s also important to keep an eye on weighing options, planning, and taking action.
I once read a quote from a philosopher: There is no such thing as a wrong decision. In any given moment, there are only right decisions, because we are always trying to make a good choice based on the information available to us. This means that coming to terms with whatever decision we make is certainly a healthy way to deal with decisions.
I hope you have fun experimenting. Maybe you could write to me sometime and tell me how you solved the problem.
In the meantime, why not just give away your extra jam?
