Every significant choice has a number of minor decisions inside its framework. If you spend too much time investigating your alternatives and information, you run the risk of falling victim to analysis paralysis or missing out on good prospects. If you wrap up the process too soon, you run the danger of kicking possibilities to the curb that you never even examined. There is a single solution to this issue that can be obtained mathematically, and it is the weirdly specific number 37. This answer exists regardless of whatever domain your choice falls under. Let’s see how to use the 37% rule in decision making.

What is the 39% Rule?

You should devote the first 37 percent of the time you spend making a choice to collecting information and making no decisions at all. After that time has passed, choose the subsequent alternative that is superior to everything else that you have seen up to that point.

This seemingly weirdly specific advice is really supported by a mathematical formula, and mathematicians claim that following this guideline will offer you the best chance of selecting the option that is best for you.

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How Can 37% Rule Work for Every Decision You Make

The way in which this rule is applied will, of course, seem different depending on the circumstances. The 37 percent rule recommends that if you have allowed yourself a month to look at real estate, you should spend the first third of that month studying the market and refraining from making any judgments during that time. 

If you are looking to hire an assistant and want to conduct interviews with 10 individuals, you should skip the first three candidates. After that, choose the next individual to compete against that first pair. 

When you want to establish a family in your 40s, you can use the first third of your dating life, (until you are around 25 years old) to explore your possibilities in a more relaxed manner.

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However, just because it would be imprudent to rigidly adhere to the 37 percent rule in every circumstance does not render it worthless or pointless. You will be better able to combat both the fear of missing out and the analytical paralysis that may result from it if you are aware that it is typically best to spend around the first third of your decision-making process acquiring information.

You may find it easier to summon the guts to decide if you are aware that you must choose the first candidate available in order to defeat the alternatives that you have investigated before.

The 37 percent rule is a useful tool for striking a healthy balance between exploratory activities and decision-making, which is one of the keys to effective decision-making.

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How to Implement the 37% Rule in Making Better Decisions

To Choose the Right Apartment

Think about a situation where you need to find a perfect apartment for you. But you can’t help checking one after another. You have even passed a few good options just to find better. The 37% rule states that you should first investigate 37% of the prospective apartments, after which you should continue investigating and choose the next apartment that is superior to all of the apartments that you have visited in the past. 

If you follow this plan, there is a 37% probability that you will be able to find the perfect apartment without having to look at any other possibilities.

To Choose a Life Partner

You can also use the 37% rule while finding the right partner for you. According to the 37% rule, conduct background checks on 37% of the prospective candidates. Then you should choose the next person who is better than all of the other candidates.

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If you follow this plan, there is a 37% probability that you will be able to find the perfect partner without having to check any other possibilities.

To Choose a Perfect Job

When searching for the job which is best suited to your passion, profile and career, you can also use the 37% rule. The rule of 37% states that you should try for the 37% of the potential internship program. If this is the case, you need to choose the job that is head and shoulders above the rest of the program. 

If you stick to this strategy, there is a 37% chance that you will be able to find a job that will fulfill all of your needs without having to look into any other options.

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To Choose the Perfect Employee

You may also apply the 37% rule while searching for the ideal employee. In accordance with the 37% guideline, do evaluate only 37% of the applicants. Then you should choose the one who is superior to all other prospects. If you adhere to this method, there is a 37% chance that you will locate the ideal employee without having to consider endless options.

Conclusion

If you follow the 37% rule, it will prevent you from being needlessly bogged down in information collection and data analysis, while making any decision. Rather it will propel you into action, and increase the likelihood that you will be successful.

If you make hasty decisions or spend too much time investigating all of your options, then you may later come to regret it. To avoid such circumstances, the 37 percent rule can be a helpful rule of thumb to keep in mind. 

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However, it may not be applicable for every situation or give you a 100 percent accurate result in every circumstance. You should not rule out options that are obviously superior simply because of a mathematical theory. Still the 37% rule is helpful in making better decisions in life, relationships, career, business, etc.

When you are next presented with several options, keep the following in mind: roughly the first one-third of the time you spend selecting should be spent collecting information. After that, the best course of action is to choose the next fantastic alternative you come across.