This past weekend I experienced a first… Downtown Detroit’s Eastern Market. A mind-boggling array of flowers, shrubs, fruit, vegetables, fish, baked goods—sprawling over multiple street blocks. So much to look at… so much to choose from… it was overwhelming, but fun (can’t believe I’m writing this—I usually dislike being in a crowd). Eventually, Laura and I waded through hundreds of purchase options, took the plunge, and bought a few flowers and some fruit. Even then I wondered if we could get a better deal if we just shopped around a bit longer.

Eastern Market reminds me one of the best things about living in America is the number of options we have. And yet, one of the worst things about living in America is the number of options we have. Especially when it comes to our life’s calling. America is the land of opportunity. Career possibilities are numerous. But for some of us, the sheer number of choices breeds confusion. Which way should we go? And after a period of indecision, we can feel stuck.

Options are great—but too many options can cloud our vision. We put our life in neutral, trying to determine what path we should take. Neutral is OK… but only for a while.

So what can you do when it seems like your life is on hold? When multiple routes present themselves to you… but you can’t figure out the best way forward? Here’s a few ideas to consider:

Assess

When you’re unsure of what road to travel, take a step back and discover (or re-discover) your gifts. Get in touch with your talent. Your abilities were given to you by God for a purpose larger than yourself. Ask God to show you how He put you together. Ask the people who know you well what they think you do best. Take advantage of the many gift assessment tools available on the web. (Again, lots of options). Figure out your gift(s).

Analyze

What energizes you? (Volleyball on the beach doesn’t count.) What gets your creative juices flowing? Can you make enough money doing what you’re gifted at and passionate about? Is it an honest way to make a living? Write the answers to those questions in a journal. I encourage to journal throughout the entire decision-making process. The intersection of gift and passion bring clarity to your calling.

Decide

After you have assessed and analyzed, at some point you have to take the plunge. You’ve done your homework. You’ve assessed and analyzed. The data you’ve assembled stares you in the face, waiting for you to make the call. Decision points are the place we often find ourselves stuck. The F-word… failure… terrifies us. Our fear of making a mistake keeps us frozen in place, unwilling to take even the most reasonable risk. Deciding gets easier when you understand failure is not a curse word. No career choice is 100% sure to be successful. If the road you choose doesn’t work out, all is not lost. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, learn what you can, and move on. Eventually you’ll discover your God-given calling if you keep at it.

When you find yourself in the Eastern Market of career choices, and a boatload of options has you feeling confused and stuck—figure out what you’re best at—what you gets you pumped up—and if you can make a livable wage doing that kind of work—and then jump in with both feet.