The Conundrums of Choice

This week I read an article in Money Magazine about choice that I found applicable to basically all of life. Key thoughts that stood out to me:

1)Neurologically, we are wired to manage five to nine options well. More is overload and often produces an avoidance response, where we just don't make any intentional choice, because we can't decide.

And 2), We highly prize keeping all options open, so we are likely to waste energy and resources keeping all options available, even when there are way too many.

As part of her research on this topic, Sheena Iyengar set up a booth selling jam and found that when she offered more varieties, more people stopped at the booth, but fewer bought. When she offered fewer varieties, fewer people stopped, but more bought. I think this is completely fascinating, and in my life, true. Case in point: I have now essentially made my curtains for the living room, but they continue to languish unhanged against the wall. Why? I need to order a grommet setter from the internet, but it seems that there are a gazillion websites selling them, and each sells a slightly different variety. After reading the article, it occurs to me that I'm rather endlessly procrastinating because I'm not sure how to figure out both who I should buy from and which size and what type of grommet setter to get. I should figure out some criteria to be king - say, a website who will accept payment via PayPal, for security - and just order it.

In terms of grommet setters, choice isn't exactly impacting my life in a major way. However, the problem of choice IS affecting my life in some significant ways in other areas. With Gideon, I have a set amount of free time each day when he sleeps. Some situations make it easy to choose what I will do - sleep, cooking, showering...these are important to daily life functioning. But between other fairly equal and competing options? Much tougher to decide. For example, I could commit to practicing the piano every day again. But, then I might not be able to practice Spanish, and long term, I will not be fluent. And so on and so on...since I haven't decided what DOES make the cut and what doesn't, I don't seem to be making progress on either one, or any of the other competing options either. Instead, I facebook. Not that I intend to throw facebook by the wayside, mind you, but it doesn't need to occupy all the time I'm giving it lately.

So, my goal, after reading this article? Identify ONE thing (beyond the basics of everyday) to be involved with on a regular basis. And then do it.

As I thought about this article more, I realized that difficulty making choices is not just a new problem resulting from all the technology that has exponentially expanded the options available to us. This problem of avoiding decisions has been around at least since the time of the apostle Paul, and surely since the beginning of man. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, for the days are evil..." Eph 5:16 This verse seems to have some rather specific applications, as suggested by the verses immediately around it - namely that wisdom is to be an imitator of God. But additionally, the action of the verse seems to be a caution that we are to intentionally steward our lives to the glory of God, rather than just be acted upon by the days. (I remember meditating on this verse not too long ago and thinking I should be more intentional...and here I am. Clearly, still working on this one).

For all of us, then, a certain amount of choosing and decision-making is an appropriate and required element of the God-honoring life. Iyengar's research certainly doesn't map out exactly how we should go about stewarding our lives, but it does offer interesting insights into how to work with our brain makeup - rather than against or in spite of it - to make choices in the everyday. It's worth a read, in my opinion.

The Making of Things

Last night Gideon slept in three, 3.5h shifts. I preface this with that, because restedness is a key predictor of my level of motivation... I am still mourning the disappearance of the four hour shifts, but hope they will return soon. In the meantime, I am glad to have had a night without ANY two hour wake-up calls.

Since I woke up fairly well rested this morning, I have decided that this is the week to tackle my first major sewing project ever. Curtains. I am making grommeted single-panel curtains with a liner, for those who care for such details. I like this option because it calls for a single width of fabric rather than two or three widths...much more affordable (especially when one utilizes 50% off sales at local fabric stores - ALWAYS exciting). And, it requires header work, but not so much as to make me cry before I even start. I had thought I wanted something formal like a French pleat, but then I realized that there is no such thing as french pleat header tape. There is only the tape/buckram that one must pin and then sew into pleats. Since french pleated curtains also require 2-3 widths of fabric to look remotely full, the savings resulting from doing the work myself is...zero dollars. I would actually spend MORE to make them than to buy a really nice formal pair of curtains. It would take me forever, and I would cry before finishing them, and possibly even before starting them. That's just silly. Clearly, grommeted is the better option.

So, to prepare for the launching of my sewing endeavor, I have had my recently acquired (via Craig's list) sewing machine tuned up, and, I bought a sewing basket. My thread, needles, scissors, buttons, and pins are finally graduating from my jr. high pencil box - from which they were overflowing - into their very own organized home.
Actually, I spent a ridiculous amount of time organizing said sewing basket this afternoon, and now have it conspicuously placed in the middle of my kitchen table - open - so I can admire it. I know, it's just a sewing basket. But, there's nothing like enjoying the simple pleasures in life, right? We'll see if I'm as enthusiastic about the curtain-making process as I have been about the getting-ready-to-make-curtains process...more on this later.