Maximize Your Satisfaction
I wonder how much time I’ve lost and how much energy wasted attempting to get the most out of something? Hell, I’ve gone through too many edits of this essay then I’d like to admit!!
We all have one of these really tricky personality traits that so often defines our actions before we even embark upon the action itself. Being a Maximizer, you typically weigh a number of options and often give yourself choices that have been carefully curated so the “best” outcome may be realized. On the other hand, if you’re a Satisficer you make quick decisions based on what’s most immediately available. Say you’re deciding on something mundane like where to fill up your gas tank. Satisficers will stop at the next gas station while a maximizer will determine their route, pull up any knowledge of nearby gas stations and grade their worthiness then make the decision. Before we continue, both are valuable and neither are wrong!
Often times when you are a maximizer there is a dreadful sense of worry in that the best outcome might not be achieved. Worrying that the work you’ve done could have been better or that the meal you had could have been better enjoyed at a different establishment. Maximizers who’ve committed to a decision often feel as though they’ve made the wrong choice. The benefit of being a maximizer is growth but execution becomes deficient.
As for the satisficer the issue is lack of self care and even limited self awareness. The satisficer can choose convenience over health. Impulsivity can become a defining behavior. The twist with the satisficer is they are often fulfilled by the choice they’ve made. Satisfaction in decision making is the benefit of a satisficer while growth may be stunted.
This provides opportunities for the yoga practitioner to apply her knowledge in effort to overcome the somewhat “mindless” habits brought on by these traits.
The opportunity to let go in suffering from the ails of being a maximizer can’t be overstated. Coming to understand our tendency to maximize can help us be more in the present moment. A trait that’s highly desirable for the yoga practitioner. On the other hand, when being pulled by the current of satisficing, the ability to pause, become aware of taking actions without much meaning, then course correct may help us live more purposeful lives. Purpose in your actions leads to deeper meaning and happiness in your life.
The cool thing is is that we can be both. Maybe finding balance between the two would be optimal. As with all things yoga, analysis of your own condition comes first. Determine the potency of Maximizing or Satisficing in your actions then adjust the dials to compliment your tendencies.
It is our nature to be defined, to whatever degree, by one of these traits but it does not limit us to exploring the other.
