I don’t go to the grocery store often. But when I do, I must admit I’m absolutely overwhelmed. When did picking out cookies become a complex decision-making process?

Psychologists tell us there is an inverse relationship between the number of choices we have and the level of satisfaction we feel about whatever final choice or decision we make. In other words, people believe more options make them happier, when, in fact, they have the opposite effect.

My quick excursion to replenish cookies can turn into a research project to ensure I buy the right brand at the right price in the right quantity that supports the right cause. If a little thing like picking snack food can become this complicated, how do we navigate major decisions in life and ministry?

Decisions Are a Gift From God

The ability to decide is one of the gifts God gave us as humans. There are some things in life you don’t get to choose, like how tall you are or where you are born. But there are a lot more things you do get to choose, like what you eat, whom you marry, and what you study in school.

I don’t believe the Creator empowered you to make decisions as some cosmic joke. I believe it’s because He wants you to have the adventure of your life — one that results in greater awareness of who you are and the unique gift you can provide to the world. When you are courageous enough to choose between the options in front of you, you get to shape your world and how you interact with it.

Choices facilitate the journey you take and the life you live. That’s why making decisions is important. How you choose to spend your days determines how you spend your life. And when you are looking back on your time on earth, you want to be proud of the courage you had to say “yes” — even when it scared you to death.

No Decision Is Ever Wasted

As a university president, the question I often hear from students — and even some professionals — is, “What if I make a bad decision?” My answer is always the same: “No decision is ever wasted.” The goal of life is to experience the fullness and abundance of what it means to know God and point others to Him. You can’t do that if your stomach is all in knots while you sit in the corner and worry about making the wrong decision.

When you find it’s impossible to choose, you know you have a clarity problem rather than a choices problem.

I tell students not to worry about making the wrong decision. I tell them to worry only when they can’t decide. When you find it’s impossible to choose, you know you have a clarity problem rather than a choices problem.

The reason I get paralyzed looking for cookies at the grocery story is I don’t know what I want. If I entered the store knowing what brand, variety and quantity to find, I would only have one option rather than many options. That doesn’t mean there should be fewer options on the shelves. It does mean that when you know what you want, you’re more likely to find it.

Craving, Creativity and Clarity

It all starts with your mind and your thinking. While too many options can be overwhelming, people like having the freedom to choose. You crave choices because you have the creative power to chip away at your soul until you recognize the divine design that is already within you. It’s just tucked away waiting for you to want it enough to search for it. And how do you search for it? By making decisions that will ultimately lead you to it.

So, how do you overcome the paralyzing effect choices can have on you? Let me suggest four ways:

1. Write down what you want to accomplish and who you want to be in 90 days. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never know whether you’re making the best decision.
2. Ask someone you trust to confirm what you think you see in yourself. Sometimes you can be blind to things that are clear to others.
3. Determine whether a choice is going to move you closer or further away from your goals. The secret is you must know where you’re headed.
4. Choose the option that will lead to personal growth and discovery. When you come to a fork in the road, the one that scares you the most is often the one that will teach you the most about yourself.

There is usually only one right decision in every moment. This doesn’t mean you will always say “yes” to that decision. But it does mean you must let go of the illusion of control and allow yourself to accept the adventure that is before you. It’s the only path to self-discovery — and the satisfaction and fulfillment you desire are at the end of that discovery process.

I’m convinced we crave choices because that’s how God designed personal growth to work from the beginning. Our drive, impulses, desires and passion are a compass that points us in the right direction.

Make the decision you need to make. Don’t let the choices in front of you distract you, and never let go of the clarity tucked away inside the dreams you have for your life. Those are the clues that will lead you down the path you were meant to travel. All you have to do is say “yes.”