Universal Next Steps

Universal Next Steps

No matter your next step, it
probably doesn't hurt to pack
some hotdogs for the trip.

In our world, at work, at home, and most anywhere in between, we can get stuck in analysis paralysis, positively vapor locked trying to differentiate between good and perfect possible outcomes.  We become too afraid of choosing the wrong action resulting in a wrong outcome and we end up doing nothing.  As Teddy Roosevelt put it, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."  This one-or-zero thinking, the right thing or nothing is a fallacy in any of our walks of life.  We preach to our new first responder and military leaders that you have to do something...even if it's not perfectly optimized, sitting on the sidelines is not an option.  In life and family, it's not intended to be a spectator sport.  

Even if the path is 
foggy, you can still
take some steps. 

We can, and should, explore "universal next steps" as an antidote to freezing up in our decisions.  In many cases, we can get quite far down a path by taking actions that move us incrementally forward, while preserving options.  Generally, we can get surprisingly far down the chain before we have to prune off options.  This allows us to avoid paralysis when we stagnate because we can't figure out all the steps, the very last step, or even the very next step.  In a finance example, we might be stuck deciding to invest in college, mutual funds, build a downpayment, or any other goals...but a universal next step is setting aside consistent cash.  That one action preserves all of the options and serves as a bit of a prerequisite to any of the options.  Instead of stressing over which comes first, start doing the actions that you need to do while you're weighing the pros and cons of the individual end-state options.  

In another example, can't figure out if you should do public, private, Montessori, charter, or home school?  We can do the universal next steps of reading to our kids, pouring into their educational foundations, and prepping them for success with number/letter/sound/color/shape awareness.  Doing those fundamentals sets the family up for success no matter which option ends up being the right one long (or short) term.  Doing nothing in those years preceding when a decision has to be made sets them up for failure at all of them.  It's been said in a variety of ways, "The best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best is today."  Look for the actions that you can do today that ready you for a variety of paths ahead.  Better yet, look for actions that are win-win where you might get closer to several goals with a single action or set of first steps.  

When in doubt, wear a helmet
on your universal next step.

Not sure if you should hike a mountain, run a marathon, or sign up for the upcoming triathlon?  For most of us, simply walking around the block is a great starting step in the right direction.  Chances are, before locking in/committing to a particular course of action (COA) - asking "Are there universal next steps that get us going?" helps us get started.  Generally, we get the action started, build momentum, and "ooch"/course correct as necessary into a more informed decision as we move down the timeline.  Even if you only have a vague sense of where the end zone might lie, we can usually start walking in that general direction and be far closer than if we were sitting on the sideline or our couch waiting for some sign of the exact and only path to come down from on high.  

Maps come in sets
for a reason...you
can get started 
without knowing 
all the steps. 

Not all paths have a universal next step, but when you start looking for them, you'll be surprised how few of the one-or-zero dichotomies you created in your head are truly limited.  If you're stuck, create a rubric in your head that you can weigh potential next steps with or a paradigm that you view your options through.  For us, one of those paradigms has become "most vs now," or in other words, "what do we want right now vs what do we want most."  Applied to finance, kids, work, marriage, or whatever role we embody, this paradigm has helped us delay gratification and often end up with "better" decisions for our future selves.  When you can find alignment with the "now" vs "most" desires and the action brings you closer to your desired end state (short and long term)...that's probably a clue or indicator that you've got a universal next step and you should strongly consider taking it.  If the step is torn between a "now" and "next" conflict, it probably takes some more concentrated study before embarking with investment or action.  

To continue our example, on the road to financial freedom, "making a budget" is a good example of a universal next step.  Instead of getting bogged down in the analysis paralysis of not knowing exactly what to do, waiting for the time to be just right, or being trapped in "perfect as an enemy of good" - just take those universal next steps and run with them.  Get off the bench and get in the game.  Like Nike said, "Just Do It."  

With you in the arena, from ours to yours...Happy Trails!

Call to Action: 

• Pick out your "big" top-of-mind goal (or worry) and pick out three universal next steps that you can do in the next 30 days to get a little bit closer to the desired end state.
• 1 - ___________________ 
• 2 - ___________________
• 3 - ___________________
• Get in the habit of doing an action instead of "thinking" long and hard about the next small decision that comes up.  
• Discussion: Consider what you/your family could/would/should (level of commitment) and start/stop/sustain (action) in regards to a next set of steps.  

Further Reading, Motivation, and References:

- Family Financial Road Map - from Matt at MomAndDadMoney.com, a great set of next steps to help your financial journey.