This morning came with a great reminder. Like most mornings, I woke to the sound of my alarm telling me it was time to start my day. It was dark, gray and rainy. The pouring rain was making soothing percussive sounds on our roof. The bed felt particularly warm and cozy. I remembered that since my first appointment wasn’t so early I had the option to sleep just a little bit longer. So I did.

These extra minutes of sleep and enjoyment of hearing the rain made me reflect that sometimes it’s important to allow our next step to be getting back to basics like sleeping, eating healthfully, exercising, breathing deeply or being grateful. Our busy schedules and long to do lists can easily overwhelm us. Being overwhelmed often translates into inaction. It seems like there is so much to do, we feel defeated before we begin. We then do nothing, creating a more intense state of overwhelm. How do we break this unhealthy cycle?

This is where those basics come in. There will always be a next “something” to do. That’s life. When however, it feels like too much, perhaps your best next step is one that involves taking care of you. It will give you the energy and mental clarity to move forward. So whether it's five more minutes of sleep, eating a good breakfast, getting a massage or taking a long walk, find something that will renew you.

I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about. Are you in need of some self-care? What will you do next to take care of yourself?

When thinking about next steps, it occurred to me that a key ingredient to moving ahead involves letting go. “Next” can mean taking an action or changing our thoughts. Either way, that involves the willingness and ability to move beyond or possibly release what came before.

Another aspect of taking that next step involves growth. The transition between winter’s end and spring’s beginning underscores this idea. It’s been quite the winter with many snowstorms. The mounds of snow slowly melted as the rain and warmth appeared. The dark brown earth is now visible with bits of green starting to arrive. As I walked outside this morning, the air smelled sweet.

Those first few months of the year, I took time to think about setting goals, starting over and embracing the change that I desired. These ideas were set into motion and matched with specific actions and next steps. Some of those included beginning a coaching skills class, working on a logo and website redesign, refining my social media marketing, attending several conferences and making more time to play and see friends.

In taking my next steps, I was willing to let go of fear, of the familiar and of my comfort zone.  Moving ahead doesn’t mean that a single action is the end. On the contrary, accomplishing any goal involves many individual steps done one after the next.  I’m in the midst of the journey. I’m evolving and growing like the blooms of spring. The plans are in place and the actions are in motion. The movement is forward. I am filled with feelings of hope that spring always brings.

What is next for you? What is propelling you forward?

During the past few winter months, I’ve written about fresh starts and embracing change. Today is the first day of a new month, and my focus shifts to the next steps. I write more about this topic in chapter three of my book, The Other Side of Organized. Recently, I had a funny conversation with my husband that relates to the next step theme.

Steve was in the kitchen having a snack. I was working on my computer. He called out to me and asked, “These honeys don’t have to be out here, do they?” Something about trying to decipher what he was referring to and the way he phrased it made me go into a tears-rolling-down-the-cheeks fit of laughter.

The Takeaway

Here is my takeaway. The “honeys” he was referring to was not him, because I call him Honey, but the two jars of honey that had been sitting on our kitchen counter since December when our girls were home from their college breaks. The honey is normally stored in the pantry. As our girls enjoy putting honey in their tea, the jars were left out as a convenience for them. On this particular evening, Steve looked at those jars and thought, “Why are they still here?” After identifying the issue (the girls were no longer home. Therefore, we didn’t need to keep the jars out), he took the next step and returned the honey back to the pantry.

“These honeys don’t have to be out here, do they?”

— Steve Samuels

Your Next Step

That’s what the next steps are often about. We can easily go through our lives not thinking about what our goal or the bigger picture is about. Therefore, we don’t know what action to take because we aren’t thinking about making changes. Things end up in places they don't belong, or we continue habits that don't really serve us. We get complacent and stop questioning. However, once we give ourselves the space to become aware, these actions or next steps become very clear. The honey jars no longer served a purpose by being on the counter. What unnecessary thing is getting in the way of your bigger picture or goal?

As you try to figure out what to do next, perhaps Steve’s question will not only bring a smile to your face but also prompt you to question and act. “These honeys don’t have to be out here, do they?”

What next step will bring you closer to your goal? I invite you to join in the conversation and share your thoughts.

Yesterday marked the first day of spring. And oh what a magnificent day it was! I had a mongo list of things left to do from the previous day, and figured I’d have all day Saturday to check things off. I woke up with good intentions of getting things done. However, the day unfolded differently than I planned.

After breakfast, I looked outside, just to smell the air and appreciate spring’s arrival. There sat the pansies I purchased the day before, waiting to be planted. It was so gorgeous out, that the thought of working inside at my computer seemed ridiculous. So, I grabbed my gardening tools and decided that the next thing I’d do was to plant the flowers. What a great sensation it was to dig in the dirt, touch the plants, submerse them in the soil and water them!

Being outside in the warm sun, getting dirty and smelling the earth made me feel connected to all the other gardeners and growers. I thought about my grandmother who loved to garden and took such pleasure in her flowers and vegetables. When I’d visit her, she’d give me a big bear hug, firmly take my hand and say, “Come! Let me show you the garden.” We’d go out back and with such joy we’d walk through her garden. She had me touch, smell and see all that was blooming.

After planting the pansies and stepping back to appreciate their vibrant colors and whimsy, I went back inside to do some work. It was hard to concentrate after enjoying the spring air. I worked for a bit until it was time for lunch. This presented another opportunity to be outside. So, I gathered up my food and positioned myself in the sun. This had a calming effect. Things were mostly quiet except for the chirping of birds and distant buzzing of a power saw. After eating, I just sat and wrote. The calm I felt reminded me of similar feelings experienced on vacations. I was relaxed and didn’t want to move.

The rest of the day had a loose feel to it. You may have already guessed it, but I abandoned “the list” yesterday. I decided that my next step was to simply savor the magnificent day. Work could wait because the day was too good to ignore. Spring had arrived and I opted to delight in it. The choice gave me time to plant our flowers, write while sitting in the sun, and enjoy a walk and ice cream with my daughter.

So today is another gorgeous day! My big list is still before me. I will choose the next thing on it to accomplish and then stick my head outside. Who knows where that might take me?