The Costco 'Sample Culture' - Why We Keep Tasting But Never Commit

Walk into any Costco on a Saturday and you’ll see it. A slow-moving crowd making its way from one free sample table to the next.

One bite of pizza. A sip of smoothie. A cube of cheese on a toothpick.

No one’s there for a full meal — just a taste.

And, if we’re honest, that’s how most of us live now.

We sample diets, self-care tips, side hustles, and morning routines. We dip a toe into everything that promises more balance, more money, more success. We try, we scroll, we move on.

We’ve become experts at tasting everything — except the one thing that matters: staying.

The Illusion of Progress

In a world that rewards busyness, sampling feels like progress.

We can tell ourselves we’re growing, exploring, evolving. And sure, that’s what it looks like on the surface. But the truth is: we’re often avoiding commitment.

Because commitment feels like closing a door — and we’ve been taught that closing doors means missing out. So, we keep our options open.

We say, “I’ll see how I feel,” or “I’ll start when things calm down”.

We collect half-finished courses, unread books, and unopened journal prompts like Costco freebies we never eat later. It’s easier to tell ourselves we’re curious than to admit we’re scared to stay.

The result?

We confuse movement with meaning, we look productive but feel empty and we’re spinning instead of standing.

The Energy Leak of ‘Almost’

Sampling feels safe - it keeps us busy without risk.

But it also quietly drains us and every “maybe later” is an open loop pulling at our attention.

Like too many apps running in the background, we burn through our battery without even realising it.

When we keep tasting, we never get nourished. We’re constantly searching for the next fix — the next idea, the next solution — instead of absorbing the wisdom of what’s already working.

This is why so many people feel tired, even when they’re doing “all the right things”.

The constant half-commitment steals our energy, our clarity, and our peace.

In leadership, it shows up as indecision.

In wellbeing, as overwhelm.

In life, as that quiet ache that whispers, “There must be more than this”.

The Power of Choosing ‘Enough’

Choosing enough isn’t about giving up, it’s about letting yourself go deep — instead of wide.

Depth is where ease hides, commitment is where meaning grows and when you stop sampling everything, you finally have room to savour something.

And that’s when life starts tasting good again.

Choosing enough isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters, with ease and grace.

Here’s where you can start:

·         Choose one thing to go deep with this week — and let the rest wait.

·         When you reach for something new, pause and ask: Have I really given the last thing time to grow?

·         Replace multitasking with micro-presence — five focused minutes beats fifty scattered ones.

·         Let rest be part of your commitment, not your reward.

·         Say yes only when you mean to stay.

Don’t think of these as rules because they aren’t. They’re reminders that pull you back to presence — and presence is where clarity lives.

The Full Meal Moment

You can’t build a full life from bite-sized samples. At some point, you have to decide what’s worth ordering — and sit down to enjoy it.

The life you crave isn’t hiding in the next sample, it’s waiting in what you’ve already chosen.