When life piles up, I try not to look at the whole mountain. I ask what the next right thing is, and I do only that.
It might be answering one email, making one call, or putting one load of laundry in. It is almost never big.
The trick is that doing the next right thing gives you a tiny bit of momentum. Then the next one is a little easier.
You are not behind. You are one step away from feeling better about today. Take that step.
When everything feels like too much
Some days the list is long and your energy is short. On those days, forget the whole list. Ask one question: what is the next right thing? Not the perfect thing. Not the biggest thing. Just the next right one.
How to find it
It might be washing a dish, answering one message, or taking a deep breath. It might be calling a friend or going to bed early. Pick the thing that is in front of you, kind to you, and doable now.
Do it. Then ask the question again. Chains of small right things add up to a day, and days add up to a life.
Let it be enough
You do not have to see the whole path. You only have to see the next step. When you are tired or afraid, that is plenty. Keep moving, one right thing at a time.
Make someone's day
Pass this on. One kind message can change a whole day. Then play a game that does some good.
