But my nature is to avoid failure – not to seek success. It’s a small difference, but making a hundred or a thousand decisions like that can drastically change your future.

because I'm a student in a psychology lab and I'm currently coding people's goals, whether they are approach or avoidance goals, and I thought it was cool you notice the distinction, and I just want to share with you research on that.

“…the approach-avoidance distinction is based on the focus of the goal. Approach goals are focused on a positive outcome or state, and regulation involves trying to move toward or maintain that outcome or state (e.g., “do well in school”)…avoidance goals are focused on a negative outcome or state, and regulation involves trying to move or stay away from that outcome or state (e.g. “not do poorly in school”… (Elliot, Chirkov, Kim, & Sheldon, 2001).

However, the researchers also found that “personal goals that mismatched the cultural emphasis (avoidance goals in the United States) were negative predictors of [subjective well-being]” (Elliot et al., 2001) <–Approach goals are emphasized in the states (because they are an individualistic country/culture, the same finding is not found for some collectivistic cultures).

In other words, if you're high on avoidance goals, you tend to have lower subjective well-being = less life satisfaction and less frequent joy.
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I think it's great you have a realization that there is no point in fretting over a billion trivial decisions. I am constantly in the same mindset of trying to make the best decision (I'm clearly a maximizer) but there is obviously a point you have to make that decision and move on. I will use your tip for my own big move in the Fall! (I'm moving 4,000km away!)

Good luck with the move!

But my nature is to avoid failure – not to seek success. It’s a small difference, but making a hundred or a thousand decisions like that can drastically change your future.

because I'm a student in a psychology lab and I'm currently coding people's goals, whether they are approach or avoidance goals, and I thought it was cool you notice the distinction, and I just want to share with you research on that.

“…the approach-avoidance distinction is based on the focus of the goal. Approach goals are focused on a positive outcome or state, and regulation involves trying to move toward or maintain that outcome or state (e.g., “do well in school”)…avoidance goals are focused on a negative outcome or state, and regulation involves trying to move or stay away from that outcome or state (e.g. “not do poorly in school”… (Elliot, Chirkov, Kim, & Sheldon, 2001).

However, the researchers also found that “personal goals that mismatched the cultural emphasis (avoidance goals in the United States) were negative predictors of [subjective well-being]” (Elliot et al., 2001) <–Approach goals are emphasized in the states (because they are an individualistic country/culture, the same finding is not found for some collectivistic cultures).

In other words, if you're high on avoidance goals, you tend to have lower subjective well-being = less life satisfaction and less frequent joy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think it's great you have a realization that there is no point in fretting over a billion trivial decisions. I am constantly in the same mindset of trying to make the best decision (I'm clearly a maximizer) but there is obviously a point you have to make that decision and move on. I will use your tip for my own big move in the Fall! (I'm moving 4,000km away!)

Good luck with the move!

It usually doesn't take much analysis to avoid a really bad choice.

Another example. I decided several years ago that everything I buy for work would either be a) neutrals b) blueish or c) redish. Now everything matches everything else and I have a flexible wardrobe with minimal pieces. I can get creative (red shoes! a blue bag!) and still know that things will match each other. And I don't have to agonize over each item.

Best luck with the move.