Especially for many of you in the northeast, this has been a rough bunch of weeks with one nor’easter after the next. While our home had heat, water and power, many of our friends and neighbors weren’t so lucky. People were displaced and frustrated. When the basics of life that we rely on and frankly often take for granted, are no longer available, everything about daily living becomes more challenging. Our equilibrium is disturbed. Figuring out which steps to take next feels overwhelming.

Last week, I attended Amy Reyer’s wonderful workshop on meditation, mindfulness and attentional intelligence. Several of the people in the class had been or knew people that were affected by the storm. Some felt anxious about returning home to uncertainty due to the storm. One of the ideas from the workshop that stuck with me was “patient attention.” What we pay attention to and cultivate manifests in our lives. That could be compassion, relationships or anything. The more we pay attention to that thing, the more it grows. The other idea discussed was that attention is a skill. Meditation helps cultivate that skill.

So how does this relate to next? In times of stress(be it storms, loss of loved ones, or health challenges), we need to be gentle, patient and kind to ourselves. We can focus our attention in that positive way. That will look and feel different for each person. Take the time you need to let next unfold slowly. Clarity will come.

A Gentle Next Step

Are you gentle with yourself during challenging times? What helps you take next steps? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Does this sound familiar? You’re ready to start your day. You’ve already dressed, showered, and had your breakfast. For all intensive purposes, you want to get going. However, you’re not quite settled or ready to begin. You might be feeling unsure of which project or task to start next. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed with the enormity of your to do list. You might be feeling uncomfortable, unsettled or anxious.

This is the perfect opportunity to introduce some mindfulness to help you find your next step.

5 Mindful Ways to Discover Your Next Step

Start With Your Breath

Using an anchor helps us to notice where we are. Your breath works beautifully as a place to focus. You can access it anywhere at anytime. Take a comfortable position sitting in a chair, standing, or even lying down. If it helps, you can close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Don’t force it. Take a few minutes to notice your natural patterns of breathing in and breathing out. Let your attention focus solely on your breath. If your mind begins to wander, as minds will do, just bring your attention back to your breath. Breathing in…breathing out. The act of shifting your focus to your breath will help you think more clearly and calmly and make room for your next step.

Add a Dose of Gratitude

Before deep diving into figuring out next, take a few minutes to express gratitude. This can be done as informally or formally as you’d like. You can simply think the thoughts or write them down. There are no rules here. You can think about just one thing or person that you are grateful for, or you can generate a longer list. Take a few mindful minutes to focus your energy in this positive way. Expressing gratitude is another way of anchoring you and making you more open and available for next.

Secure What You Need

When we’re about to embark on a project or new task, it’s challenging to do that if we haven’t taken care of our needs. Ignoring them can leave us antsy. Take a few more minutes to notice what you need to feel settled. For example, before sitting down to write, I like to make a nice, big mug of tea that I can sip between thoughts. I make sure I’ve used the bathroom. I minimize distractions like closing out open windows on my desktop. Taking care of my basic needs, helps me to better focus on what comes next. We often ignore our needs. Slowing down long enough to be mindful of where we are and what we need is essential.

Make the Selection

Have you got a to do list? Is it floating around your head or written down? While I prefer a written list for myself, there’s no right or wrong here. However, for the selection part, I highly recommend capturing the options in some written form so that you can review them. It doesn’t have to be fancy or official. Keep in mind that most of us have many things to do in our lifetime. None of those things get done in a single day. Instead we make choices each day to do or not do what we need and want to do. With that in mind, and in order to keep overwhelm at bay, create a list of no more than three things. Don’t worry. If you complete those things, you can add more. And also remember that tomorrow is another day. But for today, for this next, just write a list of three. Now it’s time to choose. To help you decide think about things like:

• Do I have time today to work on this?

• Do I have the energy needed to focus?

• Would this step be better accomplished at another time or day?

• Does this have a deadline?

• Is this a priority?

• If I didn’t accomplish this, would it matter?

• Can I remove this from my list altogether?

• Can this be delegated to someone else?

• Do I want to get some quick and easy things accomplished quickly to get my motor going?

Remember, there’s no wrong choice. Remove judgment. Maybe next will be organizing the junk drawer, removing the extra hangers from your closet, or making plans for that upcoming party. You’re simply working on that next step. Build from there.

Take Your Next Step

Congratulations! You’ve anchored yourself with breathing and gratitude, taken care of your basic needs, and selected what you’d like to do next. You’re ready for action. Remember that next involves actually doing something. You’ve used some simple mindfulness strategies to arrive at this point. As you experience next, stay in the moment. Whatever you’ve chosen, allow yourself to be there with it. Focus on what you’re doing as you’re doing it- one movement, one step, and one action at a time.

What helps you figure out next? Have you used mindfulness in the process? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The current installment (v14) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring next step-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Curiosity Next

Curiosity is one of the traits that I value. When I discovered A Curious Mind – The Secret to a Bigger Life by producer and author Brian Grazer, I had to read it. Grazer suggests that the power of curiosity can change your life. He says, “For me, curiosity infuses everything with a sense of possibility.” Consider this in the context of taking next steps. Curiosity involves asking questions, lots and lots of questions, without having a preconceived notion of what the answer will be. It’s about keeping a certain amount of openness for the possibility of discovering what you don’t know. Grazer realized through thirty-five years of having “curiosity conversations” with all types of people, that “…curiosity was the way to uncover ideas, it was the way to spark them.” These conversations became the seed ideas for many of his films and TV shows including A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, and Splash. When you’re stuck, get curious and ask questions. The idea for next is waiting for you.

2. Interesting Gadget – Fidget Next

Do you find it challenging to focus sometimes at work, home or school? If so, you’ll love the Fidget Cube. This small six-sided toy offers different types of activities on each side to play with including flip, glide, click, spin, roll and breathe. It will keep your hands occupied, your mind focused, and your stress levels low. Fidgeting could just be the best possible next step.

3. Interesting Resource – End Procrastination Next

There are so many reasons why next can elude us. One of the most common is that we might know what to do next, but we procrastinate. Fortunately, there’s a new kind of help available exclusively for procrastinators. Dr. Christine Li, clinical psychologist and procrastination coach, is a recovering chronic procrastinator who can help you “understand your struggle with procrastination and share useful strategies to help you make the important changes you want to make in your life.“ End the procrastination loop with strategies and support so that you can get to next.

4. Interesting Product – Play Next

One of the cleverest products I’ve recently discovered is Nimuno Loops, a Lego-compatible tape. It’s currently being crowd funded through Indiegogo and is not yet available to purchase. The tape lets you turn any surface into a Lego-building base. This inspired product unleashes your ability to play anywhere at anytime. When you’re feeling stuck and are not sure what your next step will be, consider the power of play. Toss a ball, build with blocks, or swing on a swing. Embrace the play-mode to unclog the mind.

5. Interesting Thought – Be Next

Sometimes in thinking or ruminating about next, we can lose sight of the present moment. Now is what’s here. Notice where you are, what you’re experiencing, and what you’re feeling. Be mindful. Be in this moment. Next will arrive soon enough.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Are you smiling? It’s the first day of spring. The gift of hope and anticipation is in the air. Even though in New York we still have quite a lot of snow covering the ground, knowing that the new season (and one of my favorite ones) has arrived, makes me happy. There’s a joyful flutter within and a lightness that is present.

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

 – Doug Larson

Yes, I know that life isn’t just sunshine and happy days. We have times of stress and sadness. We have days of challenges and despair. Yet we also have times of joy, of growth, of delight and hope. Let’s celebrate now. Let’s be on the lookout for and be mindful of all that we’re grateful for. Let’s acknowledge that we have the strength to face the challenges ahead and the insight to make the changes that we desire.

“I am going to pay attention to the spring. I am going to look around at all the flowers, and look up at the hectic trees. I am going to close my eyes and listen.”

 – Anne Lamott

What will be next for you? Do you need some time centering yourself in the here and now? Will you shift your focus to what you’re doing, feeling or thinking at this moment? Do you need to take care of the basics by eating something healthy, taking a walk outside, or getting some rest? Is it time to face a problem head-on like getting help with your organizing challenges or addressing your calendar and time clutter?

Here’s the beauty of this season. It’s a chance to reset. It’s a chance for a do-over or even a makeover. Access this moment, which will in turn improve your next step.

In the process of being, remember to pause and breathe in the wonders of spring. Where are you now? What are you feeling hopeful about? What is one challenge you’re facing? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!