Observing the supermarket over the years, I've determined that there are 3 common checkout strategies. My local supermarket may be like yours - it usually has 8 to 10 checkouts open. If you watch carefully, you'll see people adopting 1 of 3 strategies:
The 1st is to pick the shortest line and get in it. Stick with it, no matter what.
The 2nd is to pick the shortest line and switch lines once (at a maximum) if something holds up your line - like the dumbass person who halfway through forgot that he/she wanted to get something else and decides to hold up the line while he/she runs like a headless chicken to find her stuff. More often than not, it's a she!
The 3rd is to pick the shortest line and keep scanning the other lines. Switch lines if a shorter one appears. Continue this process until you leave the store.
The problem with the 3rd strategy is obvious. Every time you switch lines, you're starting over. In your search for a quick fix, you almost certainly waste time and you definitely waste energy jumping back and forth.
There are queues everywhere. Do you jump from one to another and every time you hit an obstacle, you switch to a new, easier better opportunity? While that might work, you're never going to get anywhere, because you can't make up your mind and you keep switching lines, never able to really run for it.
Similarly, with work, while starting up is thrilling, it's not until you get through a difficult period that your efforts pay off. The sad news is that when you start over, you get very little credit for how long you stood in line with your last great venture.
If it takes 10 impressions to make an impact, and you've delivered 8, that switch is going to cost you a lot of time and money.
So the moral of the story is, choose wisely, logically and with a huge amount of common sense, stick to it till the end and you will make it through to the end.
But if all else fails...cheat!
The 1st is to pick the shortest line and get in it. Stick with it, no matter what.
The 2nd is to pick the shortest line and switch lines once (at a maximum) if something holds up your line - like the dumbass person who halfway through forgot that he/she wanted to get something else and decides to hold up the line while he/she runs like a headless chicken to find her stuff. More often than not, it's a she!
The 3rd is to pick the shortest line and keep scanning the other lines. Switch lines if a shorter one appears. Continue this process until you leave the store.
The problem with the 3rd strategy is obvious. Every time you switch lines, you're starting over. In your search for a quick fix, you almost certainly waste time and you definitely waste energy jumping back and forth.
There are queues everywhere. Do you jump from one to another and every time you hit an obstacle, you switch to a new, easier better opportunity? While that might work, you're never going to get anywhere, because you can't make up your mind and you keep switching lines, never able to really run for it.
Similarly, with work, while starting up is thrilling, it's not until you get through a difficult period that your efforts pay off. The sad news is that when you start over, you get very little credit for how long you stood in line with your last great venture.
If it takes 10 impressions to make an impact, and you've delivered 8, that switch is going to cost you a lot of time and money.
So the moral of the story is, choose wisely, logically and with a huge amount of common sense, stick to it till the end and you will make it through to the end.
But if all else fails...cheat!
