Next Right Thing Guided Journal: A Decision-Making Companion

Summary of Next Right Thing Guided Journal

1. 1

   When 35,000 Daily Decisions Leave You Paralyzed

   

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   You're lying awake at 3 AM, replaying the same decision for the hundredth time. Should you take the job? End the relationship? Move across the country? The mental pro/con list has become so familiar you could recite it like a prayer. Meanwhile, your brain churns relentlessly, searching for signs in everything from coffee shop conversations to fortune cookies. This isn't just indecision-it's a modern epidemic of choice paralysis. Here's the startling reality: adults make roughly 35,000 decisions daily, yet the important ones freeze us completely. We've become obsessed with certainty, demanding to see the entire staircase before taking the first step. But what if the way we make decisions matters as much as the decisions themselves? What if our constant need for clarity reveals an addiction-to control, to approval, to knowing outcomes before they unfold? The sleepless nights aren't just about the choice ahead; they're about the noise within, the whispered chaos drowning out our own wisdom.

2. 2

   The Soul Minimalist's Rebellion

   Start Listening

   Our minds weren't designed for relentless notifications and digital demands. We've become repositories of constant input with infrequent clearing - like a colander that's never emptied, eventually holding everything and filtering nothing. Stillness isn't a luxury; it's essential for wise decision-making. Becoming a soul minimalist means declaring boundaries: "Facebook, you do not get to interrupt me." It means protecting the sacred space where creativity lives, where problems get solved, where beauty gets created. Consider practicing "an hour a day, a week a year" without technology - radical in our hyper-connected world, yet essential for hearing what your heart might say. Stillness allows us to name what lurks beneath the surface. Fear thrives in vagueness, in unnamed anxieties haunting our edges. When a CNN reporter described Ebola survivors' testimony as "not a narrative of trauma but a narrative of joy," it revealed how naming our story's framework transforms our experience. The same applies to our beliefs about God. If we imagine God as distant or manipulative, we'll approach decisions with fear rather than trust. What we believe shapes how we choose - and often there's a gap between what we profess and what our actions reveal we actually believe.

3. 3

   Following Arrows Through the Fog

   Start Listening

   Decision-making offers no rehearsals-every choice feels like a final exam on day one. When John's father died in 2011, grief brought panic attacks and sleepless nights. His church granted three months away. They stopped demanding clear answers and started following arrows instead. First came the arrow of grief-permission to disconnect completely. Then came the arrow of desire during a spiritual direction course in Colorado, revealing clarity not about John's vocation, but about their marriage. After leaving youth ministry without knowing what was next, they spent nearly a year in uncertainty before John found his calling directing a nonprofit offering soul care. Arrows appear as gentle nudges, recurring themes, unexpected clarity about something seemingly unrelated to your decision. The key is remaining open and attentive, trusting that continued presence before God won't let you miss important guidance. Sometimes the next right thing isn't a destination-it's simply the next step in the fog.

4. Chapter 4

   The Beginner's Mind and the Fear Question

   We celebrate new beginnings but resist the vulnerability of being new at something. Yet beginner's mind-the Zen concept of "shoshin"-offers powerful advantages: curiosity, openness, freedom from rigid expectations. New employees spot inefficient processes that veterans overlook. First-time parents innovate precisely because they haven't learned "the way things are done." When we admit "I don't know (yet)," we create space for authentic growth rather than pretending expertise. Another clarifying question: "Am I being led by love or pushed by fear?" When invited to the Philippines, the author faced two embarrassing fears-flying and getting sick abroad. Her trip leader offered pivotal insight: there might be many good reasons to go or not go, but don't let fear be one of them. Fear-based decisions come from our smaller, reactive selves-disconnected, closed, aligned with insecurities. Love-based decisions emerge from our best selves-connected, open, aligned with our deepest values. The question distinguishes between rational consideration and irrational fear.

   Chapter 5

   The Life Energy List and the Art of Quitting

   The Life Energy List catalogs activities that drain or energize you. Spend weeks noting genuine responses: that book club you love but whose late timing exhausts you, or mundane grocery shopping that brings unexpected joy. Some activities occupy complex middle ground - draining initially but yielding life-giving results. Introverts might find hosting gatherings taxing yet experience deep satisfaction from meaningful connections afterward. The list helps identify these nuanced patterns. This practice becomes powerful when considering what to quit. The author's journey as a sign language interpreter illustrates this: after achieving national certification through intense dedication, pregnancy with twins forced her to step away. Years later, receiving an official letter revoking her certification revealed an important truth - her gradual withdrawal had created necessary space for her writing career to flourish. This challenged conventional wisdom: "Just because things change doesn't mean you chose wrong in the first place" and "Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it forever." Like pruning a plant, sometimes we must cut away healthy branches to allow growth in different directions.

   Chapter 6

   The Discipline of Today and the Gift of Co-Listeners

   Constantly moving between beach and coffee shop while waiting for sunrise mirrors how we live-perpetually in motion rather than being present. This "settling-in problem" reflects our tendency to oscillate between past regrets and future predictions. A simple practice for staying present: take something overwhelming, turn it into a question, and add "today" at the end. "Is my trip happening today?" This determines whether immediate action is needed or if worry can be set aside. Staying present also requires acknowledging current reality. Despite working from home as a writer, the author operated under the illusion she was still a stay-at-home mom-a disconnect that left her constantly feeling behind. While clarity cannot be rushed, it often "comes from engagement, not thought." Sometimes we must act before feeling ready. The vision grows as the work is done. In uncertainty, we need more than gurus-we need co-listeners who hear us without rushing to provide answers. During a vocational transition, the author gathered trusted friends who would simply be with them in uncertainty. Sometimes the greatest gift in decision-making is surrounding ourselves with people who listen well and ask thoughtful questions rather than immediately offering solutions.

   Chapter 7

   Coming Home to the Only Person Who's Always There

   The only person guaranteed to be with you every day is you - yet we often stand at the threshold of our own souls like trespassers, afraid to enter. Coming home to yourself feels safe, settled, and free, becoming the foundation for authentic decision-making from your true center rather than fear or obligation. We can be so busy controlling circumstances that we miss what's happening right outside the window. Gripping tightly in uncertainty, we overlook unexpected glory: a timely call, a warm smile, a kind word. These moments remind us we're not invisible, that beauty is everywhere if we're willing to look. In seasons of waiting - becoming an adult, adjusting to a new home, grieving a loss - we feel like we're burying seeds and peering anxiously at the ground. Yet darkness has its purpose; it's where new life forms before emerging. Our next right thing is often simply to wait, allowing clutter to clear and creating space for our souls to breathe. Though we may have to wait and see, we never have to wait to be. Bring your unknowing into God's kind presence and continue doing your next right thing in love - one small, brave step at a time.

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