This last weekend I had the participants of my small group mentoring program in town. I always love being with them. Connecting, sharing, laughing and helping each of them step outside of their own thinking to see a new potential. For themselves and their businesses.

As can often happen with a group, there seemed to be a common theme amongst everyone.

This weekend we spoke about many things but in particular we explored, listening to what is alive and wanting to emerge for each of them in their businesses. What's next?

Sitting together, allowing the deeper creative potential to be front and center created a powerful collective wisdom. In that space, we were able to listen to one another with more depth and each of them was able to go beyond their preconceived ideas of themselves and their work to see what is FRESH and NEW and READY to be brought forth.

Often in our work we can go into auto-pilot. If it worked before, we should do it again. I'm already down this path so I should stick with it.

Or we create limitations by assuming things like; my clients won't go for that or I have built a whole business on being known for ____ (fill in the blank) and I can't switch. Or if I lean into what is fresh, I will lose time, money, credibility, etc.

These become innocent ways we start to override what wants to come alive in us. We override a potential new momentum or new growth. We become dismissive of those inspired ideas. We see our thoughts about the challenges as ‘real' and we stop in our tracks. Or as I saw a few years ago…I am my own “wet blanket”.

However, if we begin to get comfortable allowing those inspired ideas to have more room. To play with them and see what is present, we are often pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes “what's next” is a simple pivot, or a new offering. Sometimes “what's next” is a whole new shift. But when we allow our minds to go there, to just explore with open curiosity, we will SEE where the “life” is in our ideas. We will SEE what is wanting to emerge. 

And if we stop ourselves from allowing our rational and reasonable thinking to “rain on our parade” – we begin to feel a new sense of possibility, lightness and a KNOWING of our next step.

Over this last weekend, it was wonderful to see that everyone's “next step” made sense for them, was clear and was doable.

When we start to get a feel inside ourselves for a new potential or possibility in our work and life, we can often go too far in our thinking. We scare ourselves or discourage ourselves by doing this. Yet when we simply allow the feeling of possibility to be there and we start simply with “what's next?” – we SEE that we are more than up for the next move. WE ARE READY.

Listening deeply to our INNER KNOWING and keeping it simple by asking, “In this moment, what is the next step?” We don't have to know the full plan. We can move forward and simply engage. As we do that, we get more informed and a momentum begins to emerge.

I often think of a lantern. If you imagine those handheld lanterns and going down a dark path. The lantern allows you to see what is within a few feet around you. You know where to step next. Once you make that step, the lantern lights the way for the next one. But you have to take a step first.

If you're like me, you might wish there was a spot light that lite the whole path!

However, when we realize the next step is all we need, there is incredible freedom in that. And, as we move forward, we experience more inspiration, knowing and natural momentum in our businesses and lives.

Allowing our thinking, our ideas of what will work or not work, to fade into the background we naturally sink into a new space of creative potential. That next step is there already. You don't have to go hunting for it.

Listening internally for just the very next small thing, will lead us to wonderful adventures. However, it's helpful to know that when you ask yourself “what's next?” – you may be surprised. You might hear things like: rest, take a break, enjoy the fruits of what you've created. Or you might hear: have that conversation, let go of that client, sign up for this program, etc.

Keep it simple. Listen to the powerful, simple wisdom of that moment. Follow through and see what emerges. Then ask again, “What's Next?”.