Too Many Choices?

Women have made unprecedented strides in the workforce in the past few decades. Opportunities the last generation never dreamed of are now at our disposal, and we’re rising to leadership positions around the globe.

But what happens when limitless opportunities become “choice overload?”

“Messages like, ‘you can do anything you want’ and ‘you can have it all’ have good intentions, but the reality is they also create a lot of pressure,” Shannon Kelley, co-author of Undecided, tells PINK. “With more choices, the more stressed out you feel and the less likely you are to be satisfied.”

How to combat this? “Remember how new this is for women,” she says. “Not long ago, want ads were segregated by gender. Now women’s futures are open-ended, not multiple choice.”

To keep from falling into the pressure trap, Kelley reminds herself that nothing is perfect and having it all is a myth. “If you want to travel the world or be a stay-at-home mom, you can’t have a full-throttle career, and vice-versa.”

When choosing a career path, Kelley tells women to avoid being distracted by fancy titles, big salaries or things that are only “superficially satisfying” because it won’t affect how content they are in the job.

Experts say taking action is a much riskier decision when we have more choices because we’re afraid of making a misstep. To make the process easier, MSN suggests taking time to make an educated choice, limiting your options by grouping them into characteristics and not looking back once a decision is made.

Bonus PINK Link: With women now dominating many workforces, here’s how the rules are changing.

By Caroline Cox

“The future is completely open, and we are
writing it moment to moment.” Pema Chodron