Just like nature, we also go through seasons. Some seasons are filled with purpose, clarity, and direction. Other seasons are filled with uncertainty and doubt. There are seasonal transitions from cold to warm, from snow to rain, from gray to color, or from bare to bloom. It’s during these in between times that we can deeply feel like we’re in limbo. When that happens, next can feel murky.

So how can we improve how we handle next, especially when we’re in the uncertain mode? I have a few ideas, but I’d love to hear yours too.

5 Ways to Handle Next When You Are in Limbo

Feel the Limbo

If you quiet yourself, see if you can identify where in your body the angst is felt. Do you sense a rumbling in your belly or butterflies swirling about? Do you feel tightness in your shoulders or jaw? Is your breath shallow? Is your head pounding with pressure? Where in your body is your limbo-state showing up? Notice it. Acknowledge it. Sit with it. Take some slow, deep breaths in and then out. As you exhale, see if you can soften the tension. Practicing mindfulness by getting in touch with how our body feels and helping it to relax, will make us more available for the present and for next.

Sip Some Tea

Slowing down to enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee, if you prefer) can be a kindness you give to yourself during this waiting time. Allow yourself to focus on making the tea. Watch the bubbles boil. Listen to the sound of pouring the water into your favorite mug. Notice the clear water turn darker as the tealeaves brew. Breathe in the aroma. Savor that first sip of warm tea as it enters your mouth, travels down your throat and to your belly. It’s as if you’re drinking a warm hug. Leisurely experience the tea-drinking ritual as you slowly calm yourself and prepare for next.

Exercise Some Patience

We can be so terribly hard on ourselves. Especially during transitions, we are often missing certain pieces that we need to make decisions. We have to wait a day or a week or a month or more.  And you know what? We don’t like to wait, do we? Remember that you won’t always be in limbo. Recall other times when you exercised patience to secure the outcome you desired. Remember that instant isn’t always possible or even desirable. Be patient. Have confidence that in time you will find the answers you need to figure out next.

Form a Habit

Sometimes we postpone doing something that’s good for us, while we’re waiting for next. However, we can use this transition time to form one new habit that will have positive life-affirming benefits. Think about something simple and achievable. Think about something that will make you feel healthier, happier, or more content. Think about one thing that you currently aren’t doing, but would be beneficial if you began. You could brush your teeth each morning and night. You could take a 15-minute walk each day. You could declutter one surface every day. You could write one sentence a day in a gratitude journal. You could meditate for 10 minutes a day. You could...

Do One Thing

One of the benefits of moving forward is that feeling of accomplishment or endorphin rush we experience when we get stuff done. And while it’s important to focus on doing things that matter for our larger goals, sometimes, it’s helpful to just do one thing. One and done. It’s not a regular or daily thing. It’s just one thing. That thing doesn’t have to be huge or complicated. It does need to be something that will lift your spirits. You’d be surprised how small the thing can be. Don’t underestimate the power of organizing your junk drawer, or filling up a bag of clothing to donate, or calling a friend you haven’t talked with in a while. Try it and let me know what happens. We can do one, small thing, which will promote positive feelings and help pave the way for next.

What helps you navigate through to next when you’re in limbo? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

The quality of our answers, depend on the questions we ask. When we’re stuck or overwhelmed it’s challenging to even come up with good questions. When this happens, it’s great to have a list to help. You may have your own tried and true questions to get you to next. And if so, I’d love to hear some of those. However, if you’d like to add some new questions to your list, or start a list, I’ve got some breakthrough ones for you.

One of my favorite thinkers and writers is Todd Henry, founder of Accidental Creative, and author of several books including his most recent one, Herding Tigers – Be The Leader Than Creative People Need. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Todd about next steps for the Ask the Expert series. You can revisit that interview here.

I’m always interested in what Todd is thinking about. Recently, I came across a great list of questions he shared for when you’re stuck. So if you’re not sure how to find next, consider some of the questions that Todd suggests. Below are some of my favorites:

Todd Henry’s "Questions to ask when you’re stuck:"

• What am I afraid of?

• Who could solve this problem with ease, and how?

• How would my favorite super hero do it?

• Could I ask the question differently?

• What question do I need to answer first?

• What’s the primary block and why?

• Is there a resource I’m lacking?

• Who can I call for help?

Of course I don’t know what you’re grappling with. However, if you’re having challenges with getting organized and where to start, please consider reaching out to a family, friend, or professional organizer like me. I could be just the resource you need to move forward. I love helping people work through their organizational challenges!

Are you trying to figure out next? What are your favorite questions to ask? I’d love to know more. Come join the conversation!

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!