How many of you can relate to this type of conversation you may have had with yourself?
What do I want to do?
Well, that’s an interesting question!
There are so many things that I could do and enjoy doing!
I could work in supply chain, but being more client facing really gave my career a lift. I love being with people, maybe I should pursue a career in HR?
Hmmm, then again, I really like to be in the nitty gritty details of the actual product a company makes, so I could get into full-blown operations.
I don’t know, I’ve sure enjoyed helping people learn how to make improvements in their respective areas, so maybe I should get into continuous improvement?!?
What I do know is that I just want to keep all my options open!
OOPS, BAD IDEA!!
What your mind may be telling you is a positive attribute is actually hurting your chances of doing something you’d really like to do!
Choice Overload
Study after study over the years has shown the more choices we have, the worse we actually perform.
One such study, infamously referred to as “The Jam Experiment,” was set up by researchers Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper from Columbia University. In an upscale grocery store in Menlo Park, CA, they set up a jam tasting stall. On the first day, they offered 24 jams to taste, and they also gave small discount vouchers for customers who took part in the sampling, so they could track what purchases occurred as a result of the sampling.
On the second day, they limited the number of tasting choices to six jams. For both days, the average number of jams tasted was 1.4 or 1.5 jams. But the results were significantly skewed in favor of fewer choices when it came down to jam purchases. 30% of the people who sampled from the six jams ended up purchasing one of the jams. But only 3% of the people purchased jams who had sampled from the 24 jams.
Iyengar and Lepper ran two other experiments to reduce errors in their conclusions before settling on what became known as “Choice Overload.” That is, too many choices actually yields less satisfaction and less efficiency with the task at hand.
Narrow Your Focus
Now, if you’re like many people (including myself when I went through a job transition), you may not know what you actually want to do. It’s an authentic and vulnerable place to be, and that is literally the reality for a fairly sizable number of people as they begin their search for what’s next.
NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!! BUT…lean into it and do something about it.
For most people, networking is once again the key to start whittling down the choices to get laser focused. By talking with people who are doing, or have done, the options you’re considering, you can start to figure out whether those roles will be the right fit for you. The sooner you narrow your focus, the more productive you’ll be because your brain isn’t overloaded with those choices.
A Crossroads Career mantra that continues to resonate with people is: What you say “no” to is actually more important than what you say “yes” to! The less cards on the table (so to speak), the more focused you can be with what you’re pursuing.
Stay Grounded in the Word
Ok, so what Biblical principle can we find for choice overload? Scripture is full of stories where the main characters faced choices. Most of the time, the choices we’re able to see before them have been boiled down to a few selections, and the right answer lands with the principles of obedience and trust in God.
Matthew 6:33 lends itself well to that conclusion. It says, “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Isaiah 26:3 further assures us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with having too many choices. First, look upward to stay grounded with what’s truly important, and then immediately start to winnow those choices down. Second, know that most choices you make can be changed if you discover more information that leads you down a different path. Third, prioritize those choices through the filter of your core values, so you’re being true to yourself through the decision process.
Having multiple options can be a significant blessing, but only if you’ve managed them along the way! Blessings!
Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.
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