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 were 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 usually 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 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. Therefore, we don’t know what action to take because we aren’t thinking about making changes. Things often end up in places they don't belong, or we continue habits that no longer truly 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 is the next step that will bring you closer to your goal? I invite you to join in the conversation and share your thoughts.

No matter how convincing my list of 5 Compelling Reasons to Change is, I know that it’s not my reasons that matter. The five I’m sharing with you are just a few in a long line of possible motivations for change.

I’d love to find out what motivates you to make changes in your life. With your help, perhaps we can turn this list into 100+ Compelling Reasons to Change.

5 Compelling Reasons to Change

1. Pain

As Anaïs Ninsaid, “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Consider how much energy it takes to continue with the familiar. Is the pain and frustration you’re experiencing worth not changing?

2. Fear

We are all scared of something whether it’s spiders or public speaking or embracing change. Just because we’re afraid, it doesn’t mean that we can’t overcome our fears. By doing so we can experience tremendous growth, elation and increased self-confidence.

3. Desire

Motivation doesn’t have to be negative. The drivers can stem from deep yearning and passion. Change can occur when the desire for a specific result or goal is so vivid and intense that it’s almost impossible to hold yourself back from taking action. That passion can propel us forward with intensity. Allow it to be your guide.

4. Love

People don’t change until they’re ready. Sometimes, though, our motivations can come from the desire to change for someone we love. When our habits work for us, but not so well for the special people in our lives, this creates a lot of tension. Changing in order to make our relationships stronger, less stressful and more loving is another big motivator for change.

5. Opportunity

Elsye Sommer said, “Sometimes opportunity knocks like a loud windburst; more often it arrives like a burglar and disappears before you realize it was there.” Life is not dull. On a daily basis, there are many decisions to make and possibilities to consider. These options can be enticing enough to lead you towards change. With an open attitude, opportunity can be the motivator.

Do any of these ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts about reasons to change. Participate in the conversation.

This month I’ve focused on taking action towards the changes I seek. Many of you have done the same. As we’re half way through the month, this is a good point to stop and give ourselves a Change Check-up. A great question that ADHD coach, Cameron Gott asks is, “Where are we now?”

Locating where you are in the change process is important. Are you struggling to match actions with the changes you want? Or, are you able to make new choices each day to facilitate the changes that you desire? Perhaps you are experiencing a mix of struggles and successes. Sometimes we want habits or situations to alter, but we find it challenging to take the action steps, however small, to bring about those changes.

In the Readiness for Change fact sheet I created for the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, I wrote about the five phases of change: Initial Rumblings, Identifying Possibilities, Reaching Out, Beyond Talking and Life Jolts. These stages aren’t necessarily linear. We shift back and forth between the phases and can even straddle two simultaneously. For a detailed description, the ICD fact sheet is available as a free download.

Sometimes we need to pause and reassess where we are and how we’re doing. For example, I spent December and January setting goals and determining which changes I wanted to make for the coming year. When February arrived, I began setting some of those goals in motion by taking baby steps forward. Now I’m evaluating how I’m doing. Many of the changes I seek are in the works. Some have shorter time frames to accomplish, while others might take a full year or longer.

Each of us face challenges. For me, the most difficult ones seem to be integrating exercise into my schedule and cutting down on the sweets. Experience tells me that when I exercise more and eat fewer sweets, I feel healthier and stronger. As it turns out, getting out for that brisk walk or saying “no” to the very tempting cupcake or bar of chocolate is apparently not so easy.

I know that it’s difficult to make multiple changes at once. I haven’t given up on my fitness and health goals. They just may need to be postponed while I work on the other areas I’ve chosen to focus on.

Make time for your Change Check-up. Where are you now? Are you experiencing challenges or celebrating successes? I’d love to hear from you.