Maybe you’re waiting for your partner to become more responsible. Maybe you’re waiting for your family to support the idea. Maybe you’re waiting for someone to keep a promise they’ve made twenty times. Or maybe you’re waiting for life to calm down enough that you can finally do something for yourself. I understand that kind of waiting. In my 40s, I reached a point where doing nothing scared me more than walking into a college office and starting again. I could not control whether somebody else followed through—but I could decide what I was going to do next. Sometimes your next thing is not fixing the other person. Sometimes it is choosing one move you can make without their permission, participation, or cooperation. So let’s talk about it: What are you waiting for someone else to do—and what is one step you could take anyway?

Last night was one of those moments when The Next Thing Method stopped being an idea and became the only way to keep functioning. The wind was howling. The power went out. The evacuation zones kept changing. The fire was moving toward our area, and every new update had the potential to change what we needed to do next. So we did not try to control the whole fire. We focused on what we could control: Keep the animals close. Charge what we could. Gather what mattered. Watch verified updates. Stay ready to leave. Do the next necessary thing—then reassess. We made it through the night, and I am incredibly grateful. But looking at this map this morning is a reminder that it is not over yet. There are still evacuation zones, crews still working, families still waiting, and conditions that can change quickly. Sometimes your “next thing” is building a business, finishing a project, or making a difficult decision. And sometimes your next thing is simply keeping everyone safe while the mountain burns. Today, our next thing is to stay alert, remain prepared, and refuse to let relief turn into carelessness. What is happening in your life right now that you cannot completely control—and what is the one useful thing you can control today? That is where we begin. ❤️

We’re not in immediate danger, but with that smoke building behind the house, today’s next thing is keeping an eye on the fire map, staying alert, and being ready to move if the situation changes. You can make all the plans in the world, but sometimes life decides what deserves your attention first. For now, we’re safe, watching closely, and hoping the crews get this under control quickly. ❤️🔥 #TheNextThingMethod #WildfireWatch #StayReady #RealLife #OneThingAtATime

Not the whole list. Not everything that needs fixing. Just the one unfinished thing that keeps following you around. Drop it in the comments, then answer these two questions: 1. What part can you actually control? 2. What is the smallest useful move you can make today? You do not need to solve the whole situation. You only need to move it forward. I’ll be in the comments helping you find your next thing. 👇