Making a Decision? Less is Best
Take Pen to Paper: Edition 53
Here we are together again, friends!
I’m glad you are here.
A preview for today’s read.
Decisions are problematic.
One decision-making strategy.
Choosing the name, Pen to Paper.
A request for a favor.
The Problem
The first required decision when I started this newsletter was a name for it.
I find decisions difficult.
We live in a time of abundance. Constraints exist but depending on the decision to be made, there may not be many.
My husband and I took all nine months of pregnancy before deciding on our sons’ names. Our only constraint? We wanted to agree. Even then, we changed our oldest son’s middle name just before signing the birth certificate.
Sometimes, I take so long to decide that I don’t do anything. I have a pair of pink sneakers that I love. Every time I wear them, I get compliments. They seem to make others happy, which makes me happy.
My pair is worn out. When I found a similar pair to buy, I waited so long to make the decision they sold out.
One decision-making strategy: Reduce your choices.
Our lives would be easier if we had less to choose from.
As a teacher of students with behavior issues, I learned to give the students two options, both of which were acceptable to me. They had the power to choose, and whatever they chose was what I wanted.
I use the strategy on myself whenever possible.
My youngest son and I share a passion for writing utensils. We’ve been exploring the world of fountain pens, starting with cartridge style. I bought one for blue ink and one for black ink. That’s all I needed.
“You know,” he said, “We could get refillable pens and use bottled ink to have a lot more colors to write with.”
Oh, no! I don’t need to complicate my life with more that two colors of ink. Blue or black is enough of a decision.
So, how did I decide on my newsletter’s name, Pen to Paper?
Sadly, deciding what to name my newsletter did not come from a choice of two.
Words allow for infinite combinations.
Even narrowing the theme down to gratitude and the good things in life left infinite possibilities.
My thought process was something like this:
Putting pen to paper is the beginning of something. A letter, a word, a sentence, a drawing, and even a dot. They all begin the representation of sharing thoughts.
When I started journaling gratitude, it was the beginning of something that would grow bigger than I ever imagined.
Writing helps me remember my gratitude and the good in my life.
Putting pen to paper becomes the connection between me and my readers.
When I started writing during a cohort, I realized how much I enjoyed writing to connect with others, even if I didn’t know them (social media does have some redeeming features).
It all started when I put pen to paper. Thus, a name was born.
I have a favor to ask.
This newsletter is not just for me; it’s for you too! I would love your input. This survey is simple and anonymous. Just choose your answer to the question.
7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:
One of my son’s cats is in the picture above. Of all the places it could settle for a nap, it chose sitting by me. I’m the one family member with a cat allergy. Cats have their own decision-making process. 😼
I love how we discover connections with others by putting ourselves out there through writing. ✍️
Does ink add weight to paper? It may not be physical weight (I haven’t found research to support that), but think of it as metaphorical weight. Don’t everyone’s thoughts have some weight? ⚖️
This article on Tim Denning’s Blog sums up how I have come to feel about writing. Denning’s writing is typically confindent and cocky. Not this piece. This might make you reconsider why you should tap into your inner writer.
It’s good to act on spontaneous thoughts to make a connection. With only a few exceptions (like illness), connections in general and sharing specifically reward you and the recipient.
A quote: “Some people seek goodness in power, others find it in science, others in dissipation. Those people who are really close to goodness understand that real goodness for one is when all people have this goodness and share it among themselves.” - Blaise Pascal, French philosopher.
Putting constraints on our choices helps with decision-making. I enjoyed this brief article by Austin Kleon about being creative with the materials you have on hand.
Thank you for reading! I appreciate the time you spend with me each week. I’ll be back next week.
💚
Susan
How do you approach the decision-making process? If you have suggestions for me, I need them. Please leave a comment and share it with me.
If you love sharing as much as I do, share this newsletter with someone you think might like it.
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If you run the poll again in a few weeks I'll be able to answer. I'm too new a subscriber to know what my favorite parts are!