In “The West Wing,” a TV show that follows the daily work of a fictional US president and his staff, there’s a question that President Bartlet often asks at the end of his meetings: “What’s next?” I think about that question a lot, both in everyday situations as well as big turning points in my life.
Asking “What’s next?” was a simple yet powerful way for President Bartlet to rally his staff’s attention and keep the momentum going: Alright everyone, we’ve made a tough decision, or we’ve gotten some bad news. What’s next? Where do we go from here? How do we push forward into this new unknown?
Of course, you and I are most likely not the president, but I still find it useful to ask this question at times when I’ve had to make a tough decision, when I’ve made a mistake, or when I’m confronted with a difficult circumstance. Not just in terms of what’s next on the agenda, but also: What is one thing I can do next and focus on, and forget about everything else for a moment? What are the variables I can control here? (that’s a question we ask in programming too!)
- My task manager has way too many overdue tasks on it, because… life. What’s the one task I can get done today? Or get done by the end of the week? I’ll focus on that, and reset the dates on all the other tasks.
- My role at this company has changed in ways I didn’t expect, and it feels overwhelming. What’s next? Let me drop whatever I’m trying to do, and go back to basics - what are my core responsibilities, and what aren’t? I’ll write those down, and I’ll go from there.
- I’m doing some freelancing work for a client, and I’ve gotten completely stuck on one of the project requirements, to the point where I’m procrastinating. What’s next? Let me write an email to my client, keeping myself accountable and being forthright about the limitations I’m running into, and present an alternative path forward.
- I’ve moving to a new team or company, and there’s just a lot going on. What’s next? Let me take a moment and express appreciation to my soon-to-be former colleagues, and just be present and human.
I try not to worry about being productive in my answer to the question - at least not productive in the capitalist sense. Sometimes the answer is just calling a friend I haven’t talked to in a while. Sometimes it’s going on a long walk or run. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting as far away as I can from my workspace/computer, so I can truly clear my head.
Whatever ends up being the answer, asking “what’s next?” is one way we can reclaim our agency in a world full of unexpected turns.
So, my friend, I ask you - what’s next? 😉