3 Steps to Know the Next Step to Take

Getting started with anything is really easy. Anyone can become a writer, designer, illustrator, entrepreneur, or whatever they want, but only a few people continue what they started. For example, most people want to start a business, but all focus on initiating and most businesses fail after 5 years.

The same thing applies to creative professions. For example, aspiring writers start strong and write for days, weeks, or months, then move on to another field that catches their attention. Most experts and writers in the field of personal development say that the most important step is to start. However, based on my experience and the experience of my readers, the most important step is to continue. An email I received a while ago from one of my readers says:

"Hi Darius, I love reading your blog. I read it when I had depression and it changed my thoughts and view of my life and the world. Now I want to make something for others. I started with a small step and it was easy at first. But then I felt like I lacked inspiration. How can you continue if you don't know what to do next?"

That is an important question. Not knowing the next step is a challenge that every person who wants to benefit from their life must face. Here are 3 steps I take to deal with this challenge: 

1. Focusing on the day:

Most of the anxiety we feel stems from uncertainty about the future. We may have questions like “What will happen tomorrow or a year from now?” It can be scary to think about that if your thoughts are negative. The state of mind really does have a big impact. For example, I can tell you for hours that the world will not end tomorrow, but if you are in the wrong state of mind, you will not listen to what I am saying.

The best thing you can do is to focus on your next step. I am not referring to your next big step, but what will you do after reading this?

Make the most of your day, and forget about the past and the future. Maybe you're right, and the world may end tomorrow, but do you find it okay to waste your day on trifles you can't control? Of course not. So, do something in your day, and forget what's left. 

2. Set goals that you can control:

When setting goals that you cannot control, you will think that they are impossible. In addition, you will always rely on others to achieve your success. Remember not to let anyone else control what you do. You are the master of yourself. This is why you should focus on the things you can control. For example, you can't control the rewards and opportunities you get. Assuming people don't want to hire you, so what?

You can't control them anyway, and that's none of your business. So, all you have to do is improve yourself, make the most of your day, be a good person, and do what's best for you. Think about what you can control. It's quite a few things, isn't it? So, this step is easy. All you have to do is bring a piece of paper and write your goals on it, then work on it.

3. Adjustment when necessary:

A while ago, Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Workweek", tried to change his podcast business model. He moved from ad-based to fan-based funding, asking listeners to contribute $10 a month or more if they wanted.

He declared that the duration of this attempt is six months. However, he didn't get that far, withdrawing after three or four weeks. He refunded the contributions, and immediately returned to the ads. "Experiments can sometimes yield results much faster than expected," he said.

Sometimes we might try something new and discover at once that it didn't go according to the plan we made. So, in these cases we should not be afraid to make bold decisions.

Tim has millions of listeners, yet he wasn't afraid to change his business model or to go back to the old system when he learned that the change didn't work. That is life .Tim never stopped podcasting, but he simply modified. Oftentimes we feel that we are in trouble and we feel  devastated when something like this happens, but there is no harm in making some adjustments. 

In conclusion:

Keep adjusting until you find what fits your career and your private life. Life and work are like producing a song. A music producer I know told me this when I asked him about his creative process: “I create a melody, I turn it into a song, and I keep editing until the song becomes better.” So, keep editing, and when it seems right, you'll know right away.