On making the best choices

I came across a commencement address at Swarthmore College by Barry Schwarz, author of the book The Paradox of Choice:

• There's a simple lesson to draw. Don't be a maximizer. Learn that "good enough" is good enough. You may end up with results of decisions that are slightly less good, but you'll feel much better about them. And you'll save yourself a great deal of time, worry, and stress in the process of choosing. I know this isn't easy advice to follow. ... Sometimes, you should seek and demand the best. Sometimes, that's important. I can't tell you when, partly because I don't know and partly because it will be different for each of you. So the advice I will offer is only be a maximizer when it matters.

Some other good things to remember are that you can double your learning-rate by doubling your mistake rate. For, as Corwin, Prince of Amber, used to say:

• Steady movement is more important than speed, much of the time. So long as there is a regular progression of stimuli to get your mental hooks into, there is room for lateral movement. Once this begins, its rate is a matter of discretion.

So, don't be afraid of things being sub-optimal. Go out there and fuck up! It's fun!