Title: Someone stole my phone 2 weeks ago.<p>I could have walked across the street and purchased any of the 50+ models the store had on display, in under an hour. But I had specific requirements (USB-C, NFC) and didn&#x27;t want to spend over $200.<p>I spent over 10 hours searching for a replacement online. I found a good candidate, and a store in my city appeared to have it in stock. So I spent 15 minutes trying to memorize how to get there, walked for over an hour to get there (didn&#x27;t want to pay $2 for a ride), waited 30 minutes until an employee became available, asked if they had the phone in stock, and learned they they didn&#x27;t. I then walked back home, got lost, and eventually arrived 2 hours later. I then started my search over, slightly tweaking my criteria.<p>After 2 weeks without a phone, over 20 hours of research, and visiting 5 different stores, I finally bought a replacement. It&#x27;s second hand, not exactly state of the art, and I just just found out the vibration motor is broken. But it&#x27;s too late to return it, as I already left the country. I probably would still be searching for a phone if I didn&#x27;t have a flight yesterday as a hard deadline.<p>I&#x27;m now looking to buy a case for it. I must have spent 4 hours on this already. Today, I&#x27;ll visit a few different stores to see if they have it. I found a few online, but shipping makes it expensive and inconvenient.<p>I do this all the time. Every decision, big or small, is treated as if it&#x27;s a matter of life or death. I can&#x27;t seem to make a decision without a non-arbitrary external deadline. I&#x27;m doing 99% exploration and 1% exploitation. I value my time at 0.<p>How do you make rational decisions?  What if they&#x27;re complex? When do you stop? Do you use any tools?
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