Satisficing
What is it:
Satisficing is a decision-making strategy where you opt for a solution that meets your needs - even if it’s not the absolute best. Instead of exhaustively analyzing every option in search of the optimal, you choose the first option that’s good enough.
Coined by economist and cognitive psychologist Herbert A. Simon in the 1950s, satisficing blends two ideas: satisfy and suffice. Simon argued that in real life, we rarely have perfect information or unlimited time. So, rather than trying to maximize every outcome, it’s often more rational to satisfice - to choose what works and move on.
“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”
Why it matters:
We live in the age of too many choices. Whether it’s:
Scrolling Netflix for an hour trying to find the perfect movie
Stressing over the best productivity app
Comparing every hotel on Booking.com for your next trip
Spending 3 days on ChatGPT trying to write the perfect email
Endless choice doesn’t free us - it paralyzes us. Psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this the Paradox of Choice: the more options we have, the harder it is to feel satisfied with any one of them.
Satisficing helps break that loop. It reduces decision fatigue, protects your time and energy, and prevents perfectionism from becoming procrastination.
Modern Examples:
✅ Low-stakes daily decisions
Choosing a café to work from. The first one with Wi-Fi, sockets, and decent coffee? Done. No need to Google every café within 5km.
📱 Digital tools
Looking for the “best” to-do app? Just pick the first one that fits your workflow and stick to it. The time you spend searching is time you’re not doing.
👔 Workplace perfectionism
Don’t spend 5 hours tweaking fonts on your pitch deck. If it’s legible, aligned, and clear, it’s good enough.
🛒 Consumer decisions
Need a new vacuum? Choose one that fits your space, budget, and has decent reviews. You don’t need the absolute best - you need one that works for you.
How to use it:
Set a success threshold
Define what “good enough” looks like before you start searching or deciding.Stop once your criteria are met
When you find a solution that hits your threshold, stop. Accept it, use it, move on.Prioritize your decisions
Not every decision deserves maximum effort. Reserve deep analysis for high-stakes moves. Satisficing is perfect for the rest.Use constraints to your advantage
Decide how much time, energy, or money you're willing to spend. Constraints speed up decisions.
Prompts for application:
Am I trying to find the best - or just something that works?
What’s my minimum requirement for this to be “good enough”?
If I weren’t worried about other people’s opinions, would this choice be fine?
How much of this decision is driven by perfectionism, fear, or ego?
Is this decision worth this much of my energy?
What would I advise a friend to do if they were in this exact situation?
Sources:
Simon, H. A. (1955). A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice
Barry Schwartz – The Paradox of Choice
