Just Do the Next Thing – Inspirational Reads Chapter 14

The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!

Have you ever been so paralyzed by sudden circumstances in your life that you couldn’t even begin to imagine what to do next? I know I have. This is one of those times when you are sailing along and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, something happens that shakes you down to your core. When this happens, I have come to learn that I only need to do the next thing. But this didn’t come easy to me.

When you get the diagnosis, when you get the letter from your husband telling you that he’s just moved on, when your boss tells you you’re fired…and the list could go on and on. When these things happen to you, your very breath can feel like it’s being taken right from you.

Again, if you find yourself in a place like that, I know just where you are.

The few times that this has happened to me, I have found it to be helpful to remember that I don’t have to know what comes beyond the first step. The only thing I have to know about is what step is next. I only have to know what right before me, and I don’t have to worry about what comes second or third.

So often it is the overwhelming nature of worrying about what happens second or third that keeps me from even thinking about what comes first.

(this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you)

In chapter 14 of The Best Yes, the author states:

“Look at what you do know. Look at that very next step.”

I cannot tell you the number of times that I used to be paralyzed when life overwhelmed. The enormity of the overwhelm was often so huge that I could not shoulder the full load.

Then, I figured out the beauty in knowing that I don’t have to shoulder the entire load. I only have to carry the small portion that is right before me.

When you are unsure of how to get from A to Z, try focusing only on getting from A to B. If your experience in anything like mine, you just might find that once you get to B, you can see where you need to go to get to C…and so on.

So often I think that the instant gratification world that we are used to living in makes us feel like we have to know where we are going in an instant. But, we can be purposeful in only taking things one step at a time and end up in the very same place but actually have a little bit of energy when we get there from having only taken things one step at a time.

When it comes to making wise and purposeful decisions, focus on only looking at what you do know and taking only that very first step.

The thoughts shared in this post were inspired by a chapter in The Best Yes. This is a book that were are reading together as a community beginning February 22nd, 2016. We are reading just three chapters a week in this book.

Even if you are not reading along with us this time, you can still pick up your own copy and gain the wisdom you need in making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands

Here is a bit more about our book club…

This book club is a way of encouraging others to carve out the time to read at a pace of just three chapters a week because I’ve learned that finding time to read never just happens on its own.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday there will be blog posts here with Monday’s Inspirational Reads somewhere in the title with my reaction to each of the three chapters for the week, and then on Thursday evening at 9 pm EST we will be on Periscope discussing the chapters in an interactive format. You can find everything you need to know about Periscope by reading The Periscope Lowdown.

All you have to do is grab your book above, and you’re good to go! We’d love to have you join it, otherwise, grab your own copy and read any of the posts with Monday’s Inspirational Reads in the title and you can join in on your own time!

Welcome!!!