We are surrounded by far too many choices and distractions. For example, in supermarkets there are double the items now as compared to 25 years ago. In a few more years there will be even more items; how can we effectively handle such an onslaught?

No matter how many items the supermarket stocks, you can continue to buy what you have always bought and tune out much of the distraction. However, even that could get a little tedious since everyone likes to try new things.

I recommend exploring one new area – in the meats, fruits, cheeses, frozen foods, whatever – each trip to the supermarket. If you shop once a week, in the course of the year you will have tried at least 50 new products without expending mental effort or consternation in the process.

If you are up for adventure, load your entire supermarket shopping cart with all new products that you've yet to try. Either way, whether you choose to take on a selective number of new items per week or load up your whole shopping cart with new items, you are not investing time or mental effort on the onslaught of thousands of products competing for your attention.