"There is always another lunch" — my philosophy of intentional, low-stakes decision-making designed to combat decision fatigue and perfectionism. It emphasizes that most daily choices are reversible, and because life presents an endless stream of future opportunities, spending excessive time and energy on minor decisions is inefficient and puts you at the end of the lunchtime rush of orders put into the kitchen.
Core Tenets
Combatting the Paradox of Choice: Too many options lead to inaction or dissatisfaction. This approach argues for making a "good enough" choice quickly, rather than searching for the perfect one.
Reversible Decisions: Unlike "one-way door" decisions (major, life-altering, irreversible choices), daily decisions (like lunch, outfits, or low-stakes work tasks) are "two-way doors" — you can change your mind tomorrow.
Low-Stakes Perfectionism: It encourages letting go of the need for a perfect outcome on every decision, recognizing that "good enough" is often superior to perfect because it saves time and mental energy.
Focus on the Long Arc: By spending less time on small decisions, you free up mental capacity to focus on the few things that "echo across decades" — career, health, relationships.
It is correct until it isn't.
As noted by Leah Stein, daughter of friend and colleague Matt Stein: it's only wrong once.