ARE YOU A SATISFIER OR MAXIMIZER?

There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to have choices or with seeking out the best possible alternative. If ambitious people don’t aspire to make the most of themselves and the world in which they live, “the best.” If you’re a maximizer, you evaluate as many alternatives as possible to ensure that you have achieved your objective. In doing so, you invest much more time and energy than your peers studying the various alternatives before trying to whittle them down to a winner.

This stands in stark contrast to the behavior of a satisfier, or a person who chooses to “settle for something that is good enough and not worry about the possibility that there might be something better.” Ironically, even though you are likely to make better choices when you’re a maximizer, you will ultimately be less happy with those choices. That’s because as a highly selective person— i.e., someone with FOBO (Fear Of Better Option)—you’ve evaluated so many potential alternatives that you’re stressed out and prone to risk aversion lest you suffer buyer’s remorse. It’s highly ironic when you think about it.

Try taking these self-assessment questions! Answer all of these questions on a scale 1 (not at all true) to 5 (extremely true):

1. I spend an inordinate amount of time or energy making relatively unimportant decisions (i.e., things I won’t remember in a week).

2. I do not feel I can make a good decision unless I have numerous options to weigh. Even if I have an acceptable choice in hand, I seek to generate other alternatives before committing.

3. I often make multiple reservations, appointments, or sets of plans and wait until the last minute to choose one (or none) of my options.

4. I often reject the first thing I’m offered (such as a table at a restaurant, a hotel room, or the purchase price of an item) and try to negotiate or trade up to something better.

5. I frequently purchase items that I end up returning later on.

6. I see canceling on commitments, even at the last minute, as an unavoidable by-product of my busy life.

7. I have damaged personal or professional relationships due to my inability to commit to plans or other decisions.

Next, find the average score for the responses to all ten questions. If your average score exceeds 3, then you can count yourself among the ranks of FOBO sapiens.