The Next Right Thing

Weighing our options is important. But overthinking options and possibilities can keep us from actually making a decision. It's possible to be so distracted looking at the wall that we spend all our time there and we forget where we're going and why we're on the road in the first place. Here's a 10 minute reminder to keep your eyes on the road. Links + Resources From This Episode: Learn more about hope*writers Learn more about Tsh Oxenreider and Literary London Episode 100: Tell Me About You (and I'll Tell You About Me) Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In our last episode, I talked about the HALT method and how using that can help when we have big decisions to make. In summary, try to avoid making big decisions when you're hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Instead, do the next right thing - eat, breathe, find a friend, or go to bed Today I've come up with another acronym to help us consider other states of being that could skew our ability to think clearly about decisions: FOGI (pronounced foggy - Are you annoyed with me yet? Hang in there!) Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 115: Before You Decide, HALT Episode 21: Find a No Mentor Episode 80: Don't Take Offense Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If you're listening to this episode and you're well-rested, well-fed, clear-headed, at peace, happy, even-tempered, and feeling basically great about life then this episode might not be for you today. For the rest of us? The halt method could save us from making decisions more complicated than they need to be simply by asking these four simple questions. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 114: Welcome Your Loneliness Episode 109: Wait Until The Morning Jean Yang's tweet from December 6th Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In my letter to my readers last week I mentioned some loneliness I've been experiencing lately and a reader wrote back and asked me to share more about that. My first response in my head was a sharp no way but then my second thought was maybe. And the ellipses that follow that maybe? Is today's episode. When we're feeling lonely, what's our next right thing? I can't say I really have answers to that question, but I do have words and I do have stories and sometimes when you're feeling lonely, words and stories land better than answers anyway. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 113: Decide to Decide Matthew 11 Sign up to receive my monthly letter Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As I pay attention to my own life and the life of people around me, I've come to the conclusion that we can trace a lot of our anxiety, stress, and feelings of overwhelm back to a single or a series of unmade decisions. It's not always because we are putting those decisions off. Sometimes It's because we don't even realize we're carrying them. Today's episode is a simple practice in uncovering decisions that need to be made and doing the next right thing to make them. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing What Now? by Ann Patchett Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

A lot of what we talk about here isn't necessarily about the specific decision you're holding like which job to say yes to or whether or not you ought to marry that person. Instead, we talk a lot about mindset, posture, and cultivating a listening way of life so that when tough decisions come our way, we're better equipped to move through them. Today I'll share two words we can eliminate from our vocabulary, especially when we're talking about our roles, our work, or the roles and work of others. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Million Little Ways The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We all want to make our choices with wisdom, courage, and discernment. Today we come back home to one of the most foundational truths I hold on to when making decisions. On the surface it may not sound like it has to do with decision making at all. But these six words from Dallas Willard have changed the way I make decisions. Links + Resources From This Episode: You can find all of Dallas Willard's books here Psalm 23 My book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Since adults make over 35,000 decisions every single day, it's no wonder that this idea of doing the next right thing feels like such a relief. But there are also times when doing the next right thing doesn't seem like enough. Maybe you've been practicing this simple discipline for a while now and still, it's not leading to where you thought it would lead or bringing results you hoped to see by now. If you can relate, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Hope*Writers is accepting new members through Friday, January 17th Start here if you want to take the Hope*Writers quiz My book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Back in Episode 70 we talked about The Best Time to Make A Decision. Spoiler Alert: Being a good decision-maker has less to do with having a certain kind of magically decisive personality and more to do with timing. In today's episode, I'll share one simple practice that has helped me this very week to make better decisions for my own life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Bonus: For Anyone Longing for Home Episode 108: Walk at Your Own Pace Episode 70: The Best Time To Make a Decision I share my morning routine in Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Leeana Tankersley on decision making Review The Next Right Thing on Apple Podcasts The Next Right Thing book Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Because I talk a lot about reflection and intention regularly throughout the year, when December/January come around and everyone else talks about it too, I find myself leaning forward to hear what they have to say. So here on the last day of the month, the last day of the year and the final day of the decade, I'm asking myself as I share these words with you: do I have anything to add? I've decided that I do. It's a simple observation that I hope will encourage you to walk at your own pace in freedom. If you want a little no-shame companionship as you stand between the year you've just lived and the one you're entering into, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discern + Decide, my online self-paced course Sign up to receive my monthly letters The Next Right Thing by me Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript