After choosing, it is easy to focus on what the other options offered. That does not necessarily make your decision wrong. Return to the criteria you had at the time and distinguish new information from simply imagining an alternative.
A practical way to explore it
Write down the job the decision needs to accomplish. Identify two important criteria and one deal-breaker, then compare a short list using those same criteria. For example, when choosing a weekend activity, start with available time, travel distance, and who wants to join. You can expand the list if nothing meets the requirements. A short list is a tool for this decision, not a rule that fewer choices are always better.
Keep the interpretation in context
Attention, workload, stress, and the complexity of the choice can affect how effortful deciding feels. Rather than assuming a universal rule, notice your own pattern. For important decisions, choose a time and setting in which you can assess the options carefully.
Sources and further reading
- [Choice overload meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1086/651235)
- [Choice complexity research abstract](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19766972/)