Help! When You Don’t Know What To Do Next

When you don’t know what to do next – this feeling can be completely crippling.  Just moments before, we could have been knocking out tasks left and right, accomplishing things, and tracking towards our goals, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, that afternoon or the following day, the panicked feeling sets in that you feel stranded.  Unsure of where to step next.

There are a number of reasons this feeling sets in.

First, the uncertainty of our next move can set in after finishing a major task or project.  Maybe you just wrapped up a big project for your boss, or gave the sales pitch of the year, that you spent weeks prepping for.  Maybe you just launched your new business or onboarded a new client.  Whatever that major milestone is, once you complete it, an odd feeling sets in.  I credit this to the fact, that you’ve spent a large majority of your time, effort, and energy on one focused task, with little attention to anything else.  Once that is over, and you adjust to the day-to-day, the focus may take some time to return.

Second, the lack of direction can cause this unclear task issue.  This cause is arguable more troubling, because it can hint at a lack of planning.  If you fly by the seat of your pants at work, only seeing what’s right in front of you, then this feeling is fairly common.  The individuals that suffer with this problem, are the ones that literally never have a “normal” day.  You know what I’m talking about.  They literally have 3 hours of work to do one day, mindlessly floating cube-to-cube to catch up with coworkers, taking a 90-minute lunch, and guzzling the entire jug of water from the cooler.  Then, as in a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde moment, the following week this dear old coworker appears to be sleeping at work, judging by the “worn-down” appearance.  They’ve gone from the brink of retirement, to slave labor – all in the course of a week’s time.  Yes, the unexpected happens, but this is usually a result of poor planning.  Write things down, foresee heavy workloads coming, and hedge your time accordingly.  This individual has uncertainty about what to do next because…they literally don’t know what to do next.  Got to plan, man.

Third, and lastly, is the inundation of tasks.  This is probably the most common, and cripples many a solid employee in their careers.  You could be uber-organized, task-oriented, and on top of your work.  And then the “brain melt” comes in.  You just can’t seem to look at your task list and figure out what you want or should work on next.  This feeling sucks.  It’s like a paralysis.  Staring at your computer, knowing you need to do something.  But, here’s the worst threat.  We cope with this by the dreaded “dabbling”.  You know what I mean – a little of this, a little of that.  Over to email, then to work on that pipeline report for a couple mins…”oh, another email”.  Before you know it 50 minutes goes by and you haven’t accomplished any of it (#problemjustgotworse).  This is challenging, and untreated, can really wreak havoc on your workday.

If these are the common causes of said, “uncertainty of what to do next”, then what can you do when this little monster of mayhem sets in?

Couple ideas that work:

1. Learn something new

If you’re in this rut, and can’t seem to figure out which tasks or objectives come next, pick up a brief activity that is going to strengthen you.  Read a blogpost that is relevant to your work or skill.  Research market trends in your industry.  Spare a few minutes to watch a “how-to” on some new social media activity that can translate into your business or brand.  Make it relevant, and concentrated, this isn’t meant to last for days or even hours, but just enough time to refresh you, get your mind off your literal work, and inspire you to get back to it.  Plus side – these little “breaks” if you call them that, are developing you in the long run.  I’m a huge believe in personal development, and sadly too often, this gets pushed to the side.  Learning is a great tool to better your job performance.  Use it.

2. Get feedback from others

Feedback is a weird thing.  At times it’s too easily, and inappropriately, offered; yet, at other times, it’s seldom asked for.  What a shame!  Get feedback from those you work with directly, those you manage, and those you support.  Ask them where the pain points are in their daily job, and how your role could assist.  Ask what the opportunities are for you to improve.  Ask your customers how you’re doing.  Pick up the phone.  Call your clients and customers and spend 1-minute surveying them.  This is also job development, so you’re killing two birds with one stone.  You may get a fresh idea you’ve never thought of, which will ultimately help your performance.

3. Do something. Anything!

Sounds simple, but seriously this one is the most important.  The WORST thing you could ever do when you’re stuck is sit there.  Wasting time.  Playing stupid games on your phone, checking Facebook, browsing Amazon.  Whatever your vice is when you’re stressed or unsure of what do – don’t do it.  This compounds the problem significantly, and doesn’t provide a release at all.  I am not talking, however, about taking a break.  That’s different.  I’m talking about doing these things instead of being productive.  It’s not a good tradeoff, and it will cost you.  So, what does “do something” mean?  Literally.  Look at your to-do list, and pick something.  Preferably something simple and easy to achieve.  Do it.  Then go to the next quick task.  You will be back on focus in no time, and shocker – as you knock things off your to-do list, that burden suddenly feels lighter.

Watch the vlog of this post here.