We have all been there before– Peaked lapel or notched? Two button or one? Should I ditch the cummerbund? For an experienced shopper- the answers are 1. Peaked (personal preference) 2. Doesn’t matter 3. Definitely Yes. That said, when faced with decisions of greater complexity like “You have $200 should you spend it on a boat shoe, loafer or penny loafer (contrary to popular belief, not the same thing)” you need to make a choice, here’s how:

How To Make Hard Decisions. Easily.

According to this article on WIRED– The moral of this research is clear…Use your conscious mind to acquire all the information you need for making a decision. But don’t try to analyze the information with your conscious mind. Instead, go on holiday while your unconscious mind digests it. Whatever your intuition then tells you is almost certainly going to be the best choice.

In sum, the results of the current investigation suggest that affective strategies are indeed an effective means to making good decisions, thus contributing to findings on the benefits of affect in decision making. Moreover, the results are prescriptive with respect to when and how such strategies should be used. While many open questions remain, the current results support the notion that when the going gets tough, go with your gut—but with the qualification that one should not overthink their decision. [Read here]

Monsieur’s brief: Never overthink it. Always walk away. Let it stew and then decide on gut feel.