It’s a timeless, exhausting, and frustrating struggle.
Before resorting to murder and cannibalism, try one of these tricks.
Why It’s So Hard to Decide
You know the fight.
How do you not know what you want?!
Turns out it’s a pretty basic decision making problem.
There’s a deadline, and it’s not just an imaginary place in time.
You suggest pizza, but the other person just had that last night.
They suggest Chinese, but you were planning on having Chinese with family later on in the day.
The pressure builds, and soon that small decision becomes your world’s most unsolvable problem.
Unfortunately, you could’t have it all.
Unless you got to a buffet.
There are a lot of ways it’s possible for you to at least narrow down this life-changing decision.
First, decide what you don’t want.
Is the other person a vegetarian?
Does your significant other refuse to eat bread?
Diets and allergies can eliminate a lot of options.
How far you want to go:Does someone have a time limit?
Do you have transportation?
Are there good options within walking distance?
Look ahead:Will you be glad you ate there when it’s all over?
Did you really need that extra order of macaroni and cheese?
Sometimes people just need a leader, and other times people just need to succomb to their destiny.
If you don’t, now’s as good a time as ever to learn.
Next mealor next daythe other person is the leader.
People love making decisions for others.
The Coin or Wheel of Fate:Start driving or walking.
Start flipping a coin to decide whether you go left or right and let the fates decide.
Eventually you’ll see something both of you’ve got the option to agree on.
Again, elimination is key here.
James at weblog Playing Asian hasa couple tips that can keep things moving, while being diplomatic.
You have absolutely no say.
you’ve got the option to’t even comment on other people’s decision.
At first glance, this may seem really harsh with no upside.
However, effective use of the waiver increases decision-making time considerably.
Of course, you’re free to modify this rule however you want.
The Great Compromiser then presents three different options to their friends.
“We can go get Pho, Mexican, or burgers.”
There can be absolutely no disputes to these options.
Someone can’t respond “But I just had pho yesterday.”
It doesn’t matter!
This is why it’s called a compromise.
Next, the group members must select one of the three options for dinner.
Anything is fair game.
This is effective because everything is automatically narrowed down before the discussion really begins.
The former sounds more fun, but it’s your call.
Create a Food Chart, Tournament Bracket, or Map
Let’s get real for a second.
Struggling where to eat happens to you and whoever you’re with all the time.
It happens enough that maybe you should have something prepared for such occasions.
It might sound kind of nerdy, but some form of reference could save you some serious time.
Sometimeskids will teach us more than we can teach them.
A six year-old decided tocreate a food tournament bracketto determine what he wanted to eat.
You’re old enough to choose what to eat and you’re sitting there in your own hunger.
Grab a piece of paper and take turns listing options on each side, then let the tournament begin!
If you’ve narrowed down things a little beforehand, aflow chart designed to cater to specific tastescould help.
Just tap the “My Places” button, then click Create Map.
Name it, give it a description, and start adding places.
choose it in the sidebar to give it a description.
Now you have an ever-changing reference that all involved can modify.
What should we get for lunch?
“Consult the map!”
Instead of struggling to pick a place you like, pick a new place you’ve never been before.
Who knows, it could become a new favorite.
Decide on an activity together and then plan a meal that goes along with it.
Something that’s near the movie theater, or a place next door to that art exhibit.
Your search for an answer can easily be refined if it has to fit with other plans.
When In Doubt, Stall
Maybe you might’t decide because you’re really not that hungry.
Maybe you might’t decide because you’re feeling the pressure all of the sudden.
Whatever the reason, if you’re free to’t figure it out, just stall.
We make many of our decisions from the gut an intuitive reaction that honors an internal truth.
Yet decisions made in haste might lack the necessary time to get in touch with that internal truth.
Buy yourself more time.
Giving yourself permission to stall might just take the pressure off making a hasty and bad decision.
While you’re stalling, find something to take your mind off of things.
You might be hungry still, but a few moments of clarity might lead you to an epiphany.
Still can’t decide?
it’s possible for you to always save some money and eat what you have sitting in your kitchen.
Now you’re able to fight about what to make for dinner.
Let the battle begin!
Photos by Tina Mailhot-Roberge,Christopher Holden,GabboT,Jacob Haas,Joel Kramer,eyesogreen.
