The Next-Action Principle

A simple yet extraordinary technique that energizes you and yields immediate and profound results.

Often even our simplest tasks and projects get stuck because we have not thought and decided about what exactly to do next. By this, I mean the Very. Next. Concrete. Action. We keep on our to-do lists tasks and projects, they sit there forever making us hate our to-do lists, hate ourselves, and procrastinate even more than we have thought was humanly possible.  What can make us fall in love with our to-do lists again and, most importantly, propel us to action?

A very simple technique that is an essential part of the "Getting Things Done" toolbox, but can be used alone, even if you are not a fully converted GTD-fan. This technique is a question: "What's the Next Action?"  We ask ourselves, what is the next thing we need to do to move our project or task forward, and then decide on the answer.

All it takes is a few seconds of focused thinking and decision-making. And then magic happens. But the key to magic is that the answer needs to be actionable and specific.

Let's take an example classical for a person in a career transition.

Imagine you would like to learn more about working in the luxury industry. 

·        "Learn about working in the luxury industry". If you put on your to-do like this, little or nothing is going to happen. It's not specific. So how do you plan to learn about working in the luxury industry?

·        "Have informational interviews with the people working there". Again, not concrete enough. Make it super-specific. What do you need to do to get informational interviews? You need contacts.

·        "Call Jenny to ask about her contacts in the luxury industry”, I remember she has been talking to me about her friend the other day. This one is good - very specific. Actionable. On your to-do. Add a few more actionable things to get the contacts: search LinkedIn for the people in my city working in company XXX, search online for the next local luxury-themed networking event, etc.

Instead of imagining all the risks and perils of handling the daunting task of learning about a new industry, you have very concrete next actions. You are in the starting block.

Or let's take another, even simpler task. A seeming no-brainer.

·        "Meet a professor from my business school to discuss collaboration opportunities". Dead-end. Good idea, but not specific enough. Let's make it better.

·        "Write to my business school professor and propose to meet for lunch next Tuesday". This is an actionable thing. On your to-do.

Once you have converted even a single line on your to-do into an actionable item, it will give an immediate boost to your energy and self-esteem. Because your brain is no longer freaking out but sees the action as doable. Simple magic at work.

If you make the Next-Action Principle your habit – whenever you think about your projects, plan your week, lead meetings at work, have discussions with your boss, your staff, or your partner, you will see the magic of clarity, accountability, productivity, and empowerment happen over and over again. The only drawback is that you will start being frustrated with the people who do not use the same approach. But you will teach them, as I've just done.

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