I like to plan, to research options, to just generally prepare in advance... and then I use that plan as a backup plan and just do things more spontaneously, confident that I have a fallback plan. I've been in the position in life where I had no choices/minimal choices, and a greatly prefer the alternative of too many choices. It's not always a linear solution, where more of something is better, but having access to the finances, the knowledge, learning the applicable skills is greatly preferable to the alternative of being poor and ignorant. Consider yourself fortunate that you have the choices, and you can just choose not to avail yourself of every single one. Just decide for yourself where you want to draw the line.