# Chapter 39
The distraction of too many options. When we lived in Russia 25 years ago and we were on the road traveling between cities, which did not happen very often because of the restrictions and hassles of travel there, we would stop with the kids at a roadside building which advertised by picture or words, that food was offered there. We have done this a few times, but it is still the most unique experience ever - you go in and sit down and wait. That’s all. Just wait.
No one takes your order or asked how you are doing or where you would like to be seated, or what you would like to drink. You just sit down and wait 10-15 minutes and then a Russia grandma would bring you out something. You would eat it. That’s all there was to it. No options. No menu. No choices. She brought you the one thing there was to eat for that day. If you were lucky it was hot.
That likely sounds horrible to my American friends but don’t knock it till you try it. No one was ever in ecstasy about Russian cuisine to begin with in my opinion, so what did it matter that you had no choice about which nasty thing to eat? But the almost complete lack of options, or choices, was unique even for Russia.
The exact opposite is true here. Too many options. It takes longer to order here, than it did to get food there in Russia. But the stress!! You likely don’t even realize what a huge distraction and stress all your options are, because that is the only normal you have ever known. But live a few years with zero options, and you will run screaming from the Cracker Barrel or most other places.
Looking back on it, there was a great freedom and simplicity in having few options. We should design our days and schedules with less options, so that we can focus and produce something amazing.
The distraction of too many options. When we lived in Russia 25 years ago and we were on the road traveling between cities, which did not happen very often because of the restrictions and hassles of travel there, we would stop with the kids at a roadside building which advertised by picture or words, that food was offered there. We have done this a few times, but it is still the most unique experience ever - you go in and sit down and wait. That’s all. Just wait.
No one takes your order or asked how you are doing or where you would like to be seated, or what you would like to drink. You just sit down and wait 10-15 minutes and then a Russia grandma would bring you out something. You would eat it. That’s all there was to it. No options. No menu. No choices. She brought you the one thing there was to eat for that day. If you were lucky it was hot.
That likely sounds horrible to my American friends but don’t knock it till you try it. No one was ever in ecstasy about Russian cuisine to begin with in my opinion, so what did it matter that you had no choice about which nasty thing to eat? But the almost complete lack of options, or choices, was unique even for Russia.
The exact opposite is true here. Too many options. It takes longer to order here, than it did to get food there in Russia. But the stress!! You likely don’t even realize what a huge distraction and stress all your options are, because that is the only normal you have ever known. But live a few years with zero options, and you will run screaming from the Cracker Barrel or most other places.
Looking back on it, there was a great freedom and simplicity in having few options. We should design our days and schedules with less options, so that we can focus and produce something amazing.
