On Doing The Next Right Thing
In my early 20’s, I was a HUGE Elisabeth Elliott fan. HUGE. Through her, I discovered the principle of doing the next thing – and I’ve used that phrase so many times in the two decades since, in seasons of overwhelm. Just do the next right thing. Anyone who’s spent time with me has probably heard this over and over again.
The amazing thing to me is that Emily P. Freeman learned the exact same thing from Elisabeth Elliott. COME ON! (This is why writing and reading books and listening to wise authors and speakers matters, friend. Spiritual formation of a generation!) Emily’s been so intentional about it – and The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions is the result. It came with the popularity of her The Next Right Thing podcast – it seems that we’re not alone in struggling with decision making!
Honestly, decision fatigue is a real thing. I’ve had full-on arguments with my husband just because I have to decide what is for dinner each and every weekday, and I’m just so tired of making decisions. (Why do we even need dinner every day, right?) And, isn’t it that sometimes the big decisions seem easier than the small ones? It’s those 1000 or so decisions that wear me out, including what to wear, what my kiddo should wear, what to believe about the forecast, whether my hair might sustain a day of not washing it, choosing my tea from our 25 choices, and what shoes work with my outfit. By the time I get to work, I may have quite used up my decision-making quota for the day.
But, I’ve learned, it’s in choosing to have clarity in the small choices, taking a step back, thinking it through, that I practice the disciplines of just doing the next right thing. They train me to make the big decisions wisely. It’s quieting the chaos so that the overwhelm of decisions don’t keep us up at night. It’s allowing ourselves the time to make decisions and choosing to be present in the process, but not giving them too much power over us. It’s realizing God’s presence with us.
Emily’s book is not just lovely, it’s highly practical. It is truly lovely, calming and empowering. And, if you actually work through the prayers and practice points at each of the short chapters, you’ll have a beautiful new framework for breathing deep and avoiding anxiety as you make decisions. I’d suggest reading a chapter each weekday for a month, to train yourself in a new discipline – a discipline of simple, soulful decision-making.
I chose this book for our Ellen’s Picks community of leaders because I realize that, as leaders, we’re making decisions, each one of us, that impact people deeply. And that those decisions have a massive ripple effect across our country. If we adopt a new practice that equips us to be leaders who shake off decision-making anxiety and stress, we’ll lead well. We’ll lead from our strengths, rather than from our stress-points. Honestly? It’s refreshing to think of, in a chaotic world. Thanks, Emily.