Recently I was at the doctor’s office for an annual visit. On the wall was a sign with a series of suggested questions to ask the doctor during your appointment. Two in particular caught my attention since they related to this month’s theme, next step. While the questions were intended for a different purpose, I think you’ll find them useful for a variety of situations.

I’ve modified the language slightly to help focus your responses. When you’re stuck and feeling challenged with moving forward, ask yourself the following:

What is my next step?

Why is it important?

Pausing to question what will be next is useful in all situations. Adding the second question, that qualifying “why,” can add motivation and purpose to your action.

Some possible examples of what next and why important are-

• Look at my to do list so that I can stay focused for the day.

• Call doctor’s office to make an appointment because my health is a priority.

• Organize my desk to provide physical and mental clarity needed to begin my new project.

• Prepare meeting agenda so that I’ll be able to effectively run the meeting.

• Work on the next phase of my project so it I can complete it on schedule.

• Make a coffee date with my friend to nurture our relationship.

• Begin my bedtime routine so that I’ll be alert and more productive tomorrow.

• Write this blog post to stimulate an engaging, lively conversation.

I’m sure you can think of many more what and whys. I’d love to hear how these questions could work for you. Share your thoughts with us. What is your next step? Why is it important?

Figuring out your next step looks and feels different depending on your vantage point. Even with the best view, there are times when we get stuck. There are many ways to move forward and figure out what to do next. However, which type of next can influence the approach you choose.

When you feel unsure about your next step, choose one of these five strategies to help you move ahead.

5 Different Types of Next & How to Approach Them

1. Next for the Day

It can be the beginning, middle, or end of the day. You are ready to act, but you’re not sure what to start or stop working on next. Consider how much time you have for next. Do you have 15 minutes or several hours? Do you have time for doing a single task, or do you have hours to accomplish a larger project? What else is on your day’s agenda? What is your energy like right now? The answers become your clues to help you find your next step.

2. Next for the Project

Projects take multiple steps to complete. Some of those steps we can do ourselves. Certain steps require feedback or contributions from others before we can complete the project. Assess where you are right now. To move forward, is there a next step you can complete on your own? Do you need to reach out to someone for his or her help, input, or contribution? Do you have a to-do list? Are you keeping all the steps in your head? Will your next step be planning or action based? Getting the elements organized, so you know your timeline, what needs to be done, delegated, or researched will help you figure out your project’s next step.

3. Next for a Life Transition

Maybe you’re moving, changing jobs, having a baby, getting divorced, or becoming an empty nester. These are dramatic and stressful times. You’re going into unfamiliar territory. Your routines are turned upside down. You’re hoping to find that “new normal” soon…very soon. There are so many things to handle. Surprises appear each day. You don’t know what to do next. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Take another. Exhale again. Let yourself feel whatever you’re feeling. Acknowledge and label that emotion. Take another deep breath. Exhale. Again. Face the unknown and choose next anyway.

4. Next When Clueless

When there are too many choices, too many possible directions to go in, and not a strong sense of where to head, we might say something like, “I have no clue what I want to do next.” You might be experiencing decision fatigue, just thinking about making your next choice. Nothing is pulling you to act. You don’t know what to do. You’re drawing a blank. This happens. It’s normal. Give yourself a break. Get some air. Take a walk. Shift your focus to something fun and enjoyable. Let your thoughts percolate. Let yourself relax instead of feeling pressured to do something. Very often, the act of stepping away, activating our bodies, or getting outside can help clear our thoughts enough to find a way forward.

5. Next When Overwhelmed

Overwhelm is probably the most common type of next that my clients experience. They feel so overwhelmed by the volume of things on their to-do lists, the volume of spaces and areas they’d like to organize, and their time constraint that they get stuck with figuring out next. Next seems too big, too impossible, and too far into the future. They hear and feel the noise of the volume, which prevents them from moving forward. The key here is to think small…really small. Big is overwhelming, but small is doable. Things will move forward one small step at a time. What is the smallest action you can take? Build from there.

Have you noticed another type of next? Which of these five resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

Stephen Powers - Coney Island Is Still DreamlandEach month we focus on a different topic. For March we’ll be talking about next steps. We’ve had inspiring conversations over the last five years on this topic. I’m going to revisit some of those ideas and select my favorite ones to highlight and share with you.

Top 5 Wonderful Ideas for Figuring Out Your Next Step . . .

1. Go Small

Figuring out the next step can overwhelm us to the point of procrastination or inaction. This often happens because we’re thinking too far and too many steps ahead. One favorite strategy is to reduce “next” to the smallest possible and most doable action. This takes the scary out of the equation and supercharges the idea that, “I can do this!” For more about this concept, read my post How to Make Next Smaller and Actually Feel Wonderful. 

2. Breathe Deeply

If you’re like most of us, “busy” has become your new normal. It’s not just us, but also our children that are scheduled from morning to night. There’s little fluff time in our days. Our busy-ness can make it hard to think, plan and be effective. One of my favorite strategies to help the too busy syndrome is by taking a purposeful, mindful pause. Try some nice, slow deep breathing. To understand more about this strategy, read Why Breathing is Next?

3. Let Go

There are times when what we thought should be next, doesn’t happen. Our plan gets interrupted. Instead, if we opt to exercise our flexibility muscles, we can activate and get to next by letting go of our original plan. For more about this idea, read How to Do Next.

4. Get Comfortable
Energy gets expended when we’re working on figuring out our next step. It’s best to do that from a place of calm and restfulness. Getting back to the basics like getting a good night’s sleep and having a nutritious breakfast can help activate the brain and body to work with and not against you. To learn more, read The 7-Step Journey.

5. Ask Questions
We can become complacent, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But what happens when we’re in that place is that we stop asking questions. We stop being curious. We stop pursuing goals. Next isn’t even on the list because there is no list. We’re content with things as they are. However, if you’re looking to shift from that place and figure out next, there’s nothing like a great question to get the pump primed for action. For more about this idea, read What’s Your Next Step?

It’s your turn. Which getting to next idea makes sense to you? Or, do you have another strategy that works well. Come join the conversation and share with us! 

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? You know the feeling. Our sea of to dos, projects, and lists overwhelms and paralyzes us. We feel deflated or defeated before we’ve taken action. No matter how much we’ve accomplished, we’re convinced we’ll never get organized or be done.

Last week I wrote about the value of taking a breath and pausing. Let’s add another strategy, the idea of going “smaller,” to our conversation about next.

Do you want to feel wonderful instead of overwhelmed? One effective technique is to make “next” smaller. Hold the big picture in view yet focus on that next tiny action step that will bring you closer to your goal.

Let’s say you want to organize all the papers in your home. They’re around the house in piles, bags and bins. The sheer volume is overwhelming. Break down the large project into smaller ones. Organize one room at a time. If one room is overwhelming, go smaller. Try one drawer or stack at a time. If that’s still too big, think even smaller and decide about one paper at a time. Make the next step small enough to motivate forward movement.

Here’s what will happen. With each decision you’ll get closer to your goal and experience a mini success. Do that happy dance. With each decision, you’ll feel better (wonderful in fact,) and less overwhelmed.

How do we eat an apple? If we attempt to devour the entire apple in one single bite, we’ll choke. Instead by taking one small, manageable bite at a time, we’re able to enjoy our snack with the energy to continue on.

What will next look like for you? How small can you make your next step? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.