The 37% Rule: The Smartest Way to Stop Wasting Time on Choices

Everyday life is full of "search-and-decide" processes. If you examine every option, it will take a long time and you might miss opportunities—later options are unlikely to be better than earlier ones. The key question is: when should you stop searching and stop wasting time?

You should stop searching once you’ve reached 37% of the process. With 100 applicants, interview the first 37 as a benchmark. Then, hire the very next candidate who outperforms all of them—no need to continue interviewing.

If you want to find your life direction between ages 18 and 24—a seven-year span—you have about 2.59 years (7 × 0.37) for exploration. That means you should narrow down your path by the second semester of your junior year. After that, stick with your decision unless something significantly more compelling comes along.

When blind dating, treat the first 3 or 4 dates as the search phase. Once you meet someone better than all of them, agree to see them again.

When renting an apartment with one month to search, 37% of 30 days is about 11 days. After those 11 days, you need to make a move. As soon as you find a place that excites you more than any you’ve seen so far, sign the lease without hesitation.

When reading a book with 100 pages, if you haven’t found anything engaging by page 37, it’s probably worth putting it down.

For a 10-episode TV series, episode 4 is the optimal point to quit watching.

If you’re watching a 10-minute video and haven’t found it compelling by 3 minutes and 42 seconds, just close it.