More freedom can produce more possibilities than you can meaningfully compare. A move, a new venture, further study, travel and a board role may all seem plausible. Before choosing among them, ask whether they are answering the same question.
A useful qualification about the research
It is tempting to say that more options always make decisions harder. A 2010 meta-analysis by Scheibehenne, Greifeneder and Todd found an average choice-overload effect close to zero, with substantial variation between studies. The finding does not support a universal rule that fewer choices are always better. Read the study abstract.
The worksheet below is a Rooted Empowerment reflection tool, not a validated test or a conclusion derived from that study. Use it if your particular decision has become difficult to organize.
Write the decision in one sentence
“What should I do with my life?” is too broad to compare. “Which activity deserves a regular day each week for the next three months?” gives the decision a scale. Include what you are deciding and the period for which the decision needs to hold.
Compare the same things
Option: Name one possibility.
Purpose: What quality of life would it serve?
Cost: What would it require in time, energy, attention and money?
Tradeoff: What would receive less attention?
Unknown: What do I need to learn before committing?
Small test: How could I experience part of this without deciding everything?
Complete these lines for no more than three options at a time. An option that serves learning is not automatically comparable to one that serves belonging. Naming the purpose may reveal that you need to choose the priority before choosing the activity.
Set a decision boundary
Decide which information is necessary, how you will obtain it and when you will review the choice. Another hour of browsing may not answer a question that requires a conversation or a small experience.
For example, before committing to a degree, attend a sample class and speak with a current student. Before accepting a board role, understand the expected work and the organization’s current needs. Each test should reduce a named uncertainty.
Ask: Am I comparing possibilities, or postponing the tradeoff? What would be a sufficient decision for this season? Which uncertainty can I actually investigate?
The aim is a choice you can explain and review. It does not require proving that every other possible future would have been worse.