Check out this fascinating research tidbit from the brand new book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by Fast Company columnists Chip Heath and Dan Heath:

“A gourmet food store. The store managers have set up a table where customers can sample imported jams for free. One day, the table showcases 6 different jams. Another day, 24 jams. As you’d expect, the 24-jam display attracts more customers to stop by for a sample – but when it comes time to buy, they can’t make a decision. Shoppers who saw only 6 jams on display are 10 times more likely to buy a jar of jam.”

The authors are discussing information overload, decision paralysis, and what writer Barry Schwartz calls The Paradox of Choice. At a certain point, Schwartz says, “choice no longer liberates, it debilitates.”

So what’s the relevance of this to improved productivity? To becoming Time Savvy? It’s this: We all have dozens, if not hundreds, of options on the table of our “to-do list” at any one time. But if we don’t narrow the scope of choices by setting aside time to plan, prioritize, and schedule a subset of those options, we’re more likely to feel overwhelmed by them. And when we feel overwhelmed (even if unconsciously), all kinds of bad things happen. For example, procrastination and stress increase, while confidence and effectiveness decrease.

So start your day by limiting the number jams on your table given your “white space” for the day (i.e., the otherwise unscheduled time on your calendar). You’re far more likely to get more of those things done.

Remember, if you try to keep all of your to-do’s in your head as open loops (instead of narrowing them down realistically), you’re keeping way too many options on the table. You’ll scan them mentally, but it’ll be harder to make the commitment to take action.

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