Online shopping should save time. That doesn't always happen.
What might have been a simple purchase at the store can become an effort to compare seemingly limitless options. I have wasted more time than I would like to admit comparing the cost per ounce for scores of different versions of the same product.
When it's an insignificant purchase, it's far better to choose something quickly and move on with life.
Of course, we need to put more thought into discerning our vocation than discerning our toothpaste. Still, the tendency to seek more information than necessary can be just as operative when trying to make life decisions as it is when shopping on Amazon.
I have seen too many people delay... and delay... and delay because they want more data before making a decision.
This can come back to bite us. Windows of opportunity can close. The most common regrets at the end of our lives are regrets of inaction.
In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, "Those who hover on the edge of a commitment, reluctant to make a decision until all the facts are in, will eventually find that life has passed them by. The only way to understand a way of life is to take the risk of living it."
If we're stuck and unsure about how to move forward, our problem may not be a lack of info. Our problem may be a lack of courage.
This reflection relates to themes I discussed in The Freedom of Missing Out. If you know someone — even yourself — struggling to commit, please check it out.