Don't Sweat Your Next Phone Choice

This happens to active wireless users more than once every 2 years. We agonize over the choice of our next wireless phone, and often buy several, searching for the "perfect" phone. I have been in the same position, but in my case, I have been agonizing for years on how to make a web spreadsheet that will assist others in making this decision.

Recently, I was introduced to a study, The Tyranny of Choice, by Barry Schwartz, a Professor of Social Theory, who introduced the idea that the larger our number of choices, the less satisfied we are with the choices we make. The most important lessons taken from this study were:

• Learn when to choose (restricting our options to the minimum necessary)
• Learn to accept "good enough" (settle on the choice that fulfills our core requirements)
• Don't Worry About What you're Missing (focus on the positive parts of your choice)
• Control your expectations (yes, expect less and you won't be disappointed)

With cellular service and phones, we always suggest you limit your choices to 3, and one of those 3 could be your current phone or carrier. With rapid changes in technology, whatever you think is "Best" today will be stale tomorrow. You can start the process over in the future, but don't worry about your choice after it is made. It's OK to be obsessed with you cellular phone selection, but once it's made, you must go on with your life, or you will rapidly become unhappy with your decision.

I am thankful daily for the things I never had that I never wanted.