The problem with keeping your options open is that every option requires energy to hold and a

“The problem with keeping your options open is that every option requires energy to hold and a shelf full of maybes is often heavier than a hand holding one yes. Put something down.”

James Clear, best-selling American Author

Image from Unsplash by Sophia Kunkel

Every unfinished decision hums in the background, drawing attention.

We tell ourselves that keeping options open is freedom, but it often becomes a cluttered mental shelf stacked with half-choices.

Each maybe asks for revisiting, rethinking, reweighing. That’s energy you never get back.

Meanwhile, a single clear yes—though imperfect—creates momentum. It closes loops, frees focus, and ignites progress.

Choosing doesn’t shrink your world—it sharpens it.

The real risk isn’t the wrong pick; it’s never picking at all.

Put something down. Let go of the excess possibilities that no longer serve you.

In that release, you don’t lose opportunity—you gain clarity, direction, and the quiet relief of moving forward with purpose.

EXERCISE:

Where are you hoarding maybes? How can you stop letting every “I’ll decide later” drain you? What will you put down today to act on one decision you’ve been avoiding?

The Latin Root of the Word Decision

The Latin root of the word “decision” literally means “to cut.”

Where are you currently wrestling with a life decision? How long has this issue been on your mind, and perhaps a cause of sleepless nights?

For most of us, making the right or best decision is of significant importance and can have considerable payoffs or consequences.

What if you used today’s quote as a way of assisting you by simply limiting or cutting off some, most, or the majority of the options you may be considering?

EXERCISE:

Consider looking up the book or the term The Paradox of Choice. See how this concept can assist you in making even better decisions in the future.

the best story

“When I look back in five years, which of these options will make the best story?”

—John Hager, American Politician

Image from evollution.com

Image from evollution.com

Are you facing a major fork in the road in your professional or personal life?

Consider brainstorming all the possible options, and perhaps a few that are outside your current vision, to see where they lead in the near and distant future.

Which potential choice fits best with your vision, values, beliefs, skills, strengths, and personality? Pay attention to feelings stirred up by these hypothetical journeys.

What scares you?

What excites you?

What delights you?

EXERCISE:

Ask and answer the questions above, and begin telling the story you intend to write with your life.