The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

by Emily P. Freeman

Essentialism is not about how to get more things done, it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.1 If it feels hard for you to decide what is essential, here are three ways to clear the soul clutter and get back to the basics. One, be picky who you listen to. We’ll talk about this more in a later chapter, but if somebody’s words, plans, or advice make you want to hyperventilate, take a hard pass. Breathe. Remember who you are. Repeat. It could be this exhausting advice is appealing to your false self. That’s usually how it goes for me, anyway. The false self can never get enough. David Benner says, “Our calling is therefore the way of being that is both best for us and best for the world.”2 Be picky about who you listen to. Two, schedule a listening day. This one will take some planning, but it’s worth your time. Remember, you’re already spending a lot of time and energy on things you suspect may not be essential. Let’s harness that energy and redirect it for the purpose of prayerfully listening to the nudge of your own life and calling. The point of this day is not necessarily to make your decision but to remember who you are.