Having more options should make life easier. So why can having too many choices make it harder to move forward?
Have you ever sat down to make a decision about your business, only to find yourself researching more options, comparing different approaches and questioning what you thought you wanted?
You know you need to make a decision. You might even have several perfectly good options.
But somehow, you’re still not moving forward.
When more choice doesn’t mean more freedom
In 2005, psychologist Barry Schwartz delivered a TED Talk called The Paradox of Choice.
More than 20 years later, I think it’s just as relevant.
Schwartz challenges the assumption that more choice automatically leads to greater freedom and satisfaction.
He explores how too many options can make it harder to decide, and how having more alternatives can leave us less satisfied even when we make a good decision.
Think about how much choice we have today.
Streaming services are a perfect example. So many programmes to choose from that you can spend longer deciding what to watch than actually watching something. And sometimes, you end up watching something you’ve already seen because it’s easier.
Now think about your business.
Software platforms, marketing channels, growth opportunities, ways of working, sources of advice.
There’s always another option to consider.
And with every new possibility comes another decision.
At some point, choice itself becomes Business Friction.
The exhausting question: What if?
One part of Schwartz’s talk particularly resonated with me.
He explains how having more alternatives can increase regret, even when the decision we’ve made turns out well.
Because when we choose one thing, we’re also choosing not to do something else.
What if I’d chosen the other software?
What if I’d focused on that project instead?
What if I’d taken the business in a different direction?
What if I’d done it sooner?
What if, what if, what if?
There will nearly always be another possible approach.
But there’s a difference between reflecting on a decision and continually reopening it.
A decision can be good without being the only good decision available.
When good isn’t good enough
Schwartz also explores how more choice can raise our expectations.
When there are countless options available, we start believing that one of them must be perfect.
And when the result doesn’t quite match that expectation, we’re disappointed.
Even if the outcome is objectively good.
One of my favourite observations from the talk was about being pleasantly surprised.
When we don’t expect perfection, something good can feel genuinely good.
But when perfection becomes the expectation, even an excellent result can feel disappointing.
I think there’s a real lesson here for business owners.
We don’t need to lower our ambitions. But perhaps we need to question whether every decision has to deliver the best possible outcome.
Sometimes a solution that works well, fits your business and makes life easier is exactly what you need.
You don’t have to pursue every possibility
I also think there’s another layer to this, particularly for women in business.
We’re encouraged to pursue our ambitions, make our own choices and build the lives we want.
And those opportunities matter.
But alongside that freedom can come enormous pressure to make the right choices and somehow have everything.
Build the business. Have the lifestyle. Be present for everyone. Don’t miss an opportunity.
It’s exhausting.
And it raises an important question.
Just because you can pursue something, does that mean it’s worth pursuing?
This is where I see a strong connection to Business Friction.
When I work with business owners, the objective isn’t necessarily to help them do more.
Often, it’s about helping them work out what doesn’t need their attention.
Which projects genuinely matter?
Which opportunities are worth pursuing?
What can be set aside?
Which decisions don’t need to be made at all?
Having someone to think things through with can help you distinguish between what’s possible and what’s purposeful.
Not by taking decisions away from you, but by helping you make them with greater clarity and confidence.
Sometimes less choice creates more freedom
You don’t need to pursue every opportunity.
You don’t need to implement every good idea.
And you don’t need to keep every option open indefinitely.
Sometimes meaningful progress starts when you decide what you’re not going to do.
Not because you lack ambition or capability.
But because your time, attention and energy deserve to be directed towards what matters most.
Perhaps the question isn’t whether you have enough choices. Perhaps it’s whether the choices you’re carrying are helping you move forward.
That’s a useful place to start looking for Business Friction.