Decisions. How do you make ‘em? How do you feel after?
Maximizers generally make good decisions, but feel bad about them. Satisficers make good decisions, but feel good.
The good news? Maximizers can become more like satisficers, enhancing their overall happiness and wellbeing. Here’s the scoop!
Listen now!
Maximizer or satisficer.
Which one are you?
Being presented with choices and having to make a decision is something we all face on a daily basis.
Choice is good, but sometimes there are too many of them. That’s called choice paralysis, the point when too many options begin to cause problems. (The term, by the way, was penned by Barry Schwartz, who we’ll be referencing again in this article.)
For solopreneurs and small business owners, it can feel like the amount of choices available is overwhelming. It feels like a weight on our back and we worry about if we are making the right or wrong move.
But being able to make decisions quickly and efficiently is crucial, or else we’d never make any progress in our business.
Working on our personal decision-making abilities and skills is important, especially if we are more of a maximizer than a satisficer.
What is a Maximizer? What is a Satisficer?
Let’s quote Professor Schwartz for a quick definition of these two terms:
Maximizers are people who want the very best. Satisficers are people who want good enough.
Barry Schwartz
When you put it that way, being a maximizer doesn’t sound that bad, right?
Striving for the very best?
Nothing wrong with that.
But wait.
Where maximizers run into issues is that, although they want to, it’s impossible to properly examine all choices–there are simply too many of them out there.
At some point, a decision has to be made.
It’s usually a good decision, but to a maximizer, all they can focus on is that a better decision may have existed – a better path may be out there. And to quote Schwartz again, “Maximizers make good decisions and end up feeling bad about them. Satisficers make good decisions and end up feeling good.”
So. You can start to see where being a maximizer can be a real thorn in one’s side.
Like so many things in life, this isn’t black and white: there’s grey area.
Most of us aren’t going to be ALL maximizer or ALL satisficer, through and through.
It’s a sliding scale. There are also reports that one becomes more satisficing as they age.
And, of course, it depends on the type of decision itself. You could be more of a maximizer when it comes to work, but completely satisficing when it comes to making decisions about buying furniture or where to go on vacation.
Story Time!
I see the maximizing side of myself come out mostly when it comes to my work, but also with making decisions about where to eat.
When trying to choose a new restaurant or spot for an afternoon beer, I analyze ALL the choices.
I hop on Yelp to see what’s out there, checking the ratings and recent reviews.
I look at the photos to make sure they fit the vibe.
Then, I check the map and get a feel for how difficult parking may be.
I check the clock: are there any games on that could make the place too rowdy or loud? What’s going on in the nearby area?
There are SO MANY FACTORS to analyze.
What if I pick a place, and it ends up not being as good as the ratings and reviews claim it is?
What if it’s not as good as my tried & true watering hole?
…But like. It’s only one meal. It’s only one beer. Any pretty much all beer is good beer, ya know?
It’s also only one hour out of one afternoon. If it’s not a perfect decision, who cares, right?
It’s small potatoes.
But that’s a hard concept to grasp for a maximizer.
Maximizers Aren’t As Happy As Satisficers.
Maximizers feel compelled to examine all options out there before making a decision. And they frequently experience regret, self-blame, less commitment to the choice they do make, and just less overall well-being.
There’s a study that found while maximizing college grads landed higher paying jobs than their satisficing counterparts, they ended up reporting less happiness overall. Maximizers aren’t satisfied. They’re restless.
Maximizers Don’t Always Make The Right DECISION.
And what’s really interesting is that maximizers aren’t ALWAYS going to pick the right decision, anyway. There’s a study that essentially found the overthinking that maximizers are prone to caused them to make less accurate predictions for outcomes of a sporting event than satisficers.
Efficient Decision-Making Is Crucial For Small Business Owners.
There are endless decisions that need to be made.
Effective and efficient decision-making is SUCH an important part of successfully leading your business. (I even took a course that was literally called “Strategic Decision-Making” as part of coursework to complete my Master’s degree.)
Improving your decision-making skills is extremely important for not just growth, but long-term sustainability.
As a digital strategist whose been working with clients for a decade, I routinely encounter individuals who get stuck making even the smallest of decisions. These are decisions that ultimately don’t have much impact on their bottom line.
I’ve watched clients edit their copy 8 times, delaying the launch of their website — sometimes for years — because they are wordsmithing.
Some will put off growing their email list because they can’t decide on an email marketing software, or they’re fiddling around with the template.
Some will do a complete 180 and change strategies, even after they already made a decision, because they were influenced by what they say someone else doing.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.
I’ve had clients who will spend DAYS stressing over the font choice their materials use, even though the ones they’re considering all look pretty much the same.
These things matter, but not as much as they think they do. In the words of that TikTok audio that’s been around for a while – “no one’s gonna know.” No one’s gonna know the difference between Poppins and Sofia Pro. And they CERTAINLY aren’t going to care. And I say that as a designer.
If you don’t learn to let go of that maximizing mindset at least a little bit – it will eat you alive.
When running a business, big or small, there are simply too many decisions to make. This leaves little time for inaction and indecision. There’s no room for doubt, regret, and rumination. Those things expend time and energy, both of which are more precious than GOLD to us business owners.
How To Stop Searching For The Next Best Thing:
If you are prone to this whole maximizing mindset, I’m telling ya right now: stop sweating the small stuff.
It’s not easy and it’s not going to be let go of all at once.
TIP #1: Be Self Aware
Awareness is the first step.
If you’re a maximizer, learn to recognize the pattern and the overthinking and analysis paralysis that typically accompanies it. When you’re able to quickly recognize it, you can put a stop to it.
Tip #2: Narrow Your Options
Too many choices can overwhelm us and get us stuck in a holding pattern of not making a decision. Reduce the choices!
For example: instead of trying to decide between a dozen breweries you could go to, choose 2: X or Y. The others are no longer a factor.
Tip #3: Make Decisions Irreversible
According to Barry Schwartz, “being allowed to change our minds actually increases the odds that we will change our minds.” Making the decision irreversible helps us be more present and in the moment, rather than being stuck in our head.
Tip #4: Focus On Abundance, Not Scarcity
An article published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology acknowledges that maximizing has been shown to activate feelings of scarcity.
What helps me relax and stop maximizing is realizing there will be other opportunities. For example -going out for a drink. This–hopefully–is not going to be the last beer I ever drink, or the last brewery I ever go to. There will be more. It’s not a life-altering decision. Shifting my mindset from scarcity to abundance makes me realize that even if this decision isn’t perfect, there will be other opportunities again. And also, I have an abundance of other, good things going on in my life – so even if I make the “wrong” decision about an afternoon beer, it’s small potatoes.
Tip #5: Listen To Your Intuition
Data, information, Yelp reviews, etc. are all important, but what does your gut say? There has to be a point when we tune out the noise and focus on using our internal compass. Develop and strengthen the connection to your intuition.
Maximizing Is Good For SOME Decisions.
In the battle between maximizer vs satisficer, there are some select times when the maximizer wins out.
For example: buying a house. This is a huge decision where you need to carefully consider all your options and analyze all factors. This is certainly likely to lead to a better outcome than buying the first house you see, deeming it “good enough.”
Most decisions aren’t THIS important, though.
And so, in general, it would benefit us all to take a step back, relax, and become more satisfying in nature.