Making Sense of Infinite Possibilities

Making Sense of Infinite(ˈinfənət) Possibilities

By Steve Pavlina

You could say that one reason we can make simple decisions each day with relative(ˈrelədiv) ease is that we only have a handful of options to choose from, and that makes it easier to make a reasonably(ˈrēz(ə)nəblē) good choice.

For instance, if you only have so much food in your home, or so many stores and restaurants within reach, then you may find it easier to decide what to eat each day. You don’t have to consider infinite options. You narrow(ˈnarō) your focus to what’s most accessible.

But what about making bigger life choices, like what career path to explore next? This is a situation where you may feel like you’re drowning(droun) in possibilities. There are so many factors to consider. Many decisions could lead(led,lēd) to positive outcomes, but many could lead to undesirable(ˌəndəˈzī(ə)rəb(ə)l) ones. What if you pursue a career you don’t like? How do you know how to make this choice?

What does it mean to have clarity(ˈklerədē) in such a situation? How can you possibly achieve clarity when there are so many options to consider?

The simple answer is that you must collapse(kəˈlaps) the possibility space to make it smaller. You must somehow narrow your options.

How can you do this? Aren’t all things possible?

You may have this sense that in each moment, you can make any possible decision. But is that really accurate(ˈakyərət)?

Consider a simple decision like what to have for your next meal(mēl). On the one hand, it may seem like you could potentially(pəˈten(t)SHəlē) eat any possible food for that meal. This may seem especially true if you live in a big city with lots of accessible restaurants within easy walking or driving distance. You may literally(ˈlidərəlē, ˈlitrəlē) have thousands of different meal options accessible to you.

Now and then you may even feel overwhelmed by all the choices. But somehow you still decide, and you make such decisions every day. Even deciding not to eat anything is a choice.

How on earth do you do that? How do you face such immense(iˈmens) possibilities and still decide?

When you actually make such a decision, you don’t consider every possible option. You only consider a small number of possibilities. You collapse the space by giving attention to certain factors that will eliminate(əˈliməˌnāt) most options. You might consider your mood, how much time you have, the cost, the relative distance, your cravings(ˈkrāviNG), past memories, and so on. Sometimes you’ll simply think in terms of patterns. Ultimately(ˈəltəmətlē) you may find yourself making the decision pretty quickly. And then you get to experience the result.

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https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2020/01/making-sense-of-infinite-possibilities/