The Pursuit of What's Next

Did you miss the chance to become the most read site or publication? Did someone else rank higher on a list, in an organization, in a social network?

How many times do you tell yourself: I'll do better next time?

Do you equate that to results?

What happened next time?

Sliding doors scenario

Say you did better next time around. You are on top of the list, your site ranks higher, even highest in your category, or across a couple of them; you have the most followers. What's next?

Or maybe you didn't do better. You ended up at about the same level as you were before and you put considerable time and energy into your pursuit of higher. What's next?

Has either of those scenarios made you happier? The challenge with constantly looking to what's next is that we forget where next comes from: it comes from this moment. It originates from the choices we make and the promises we keep.

Putting stock in the opinions of others

Is a sure recipe for disappointment. There is more: it gives little value back to you. Those lists and rankings make no promises. A third party, you, is expected to warrant that the ranking was fair. Would you expect Ford to warrant that the price you bought a used car for was fair?

A promise is an agreement to do something that one can rely on. Opinions are not promises.

How about asking a different question?

What now?

 

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Comments

[Brian Driggs]

What a simple, yet powerful, way to re-frame perspective. :)

Where was I yesterday?
Where do I want to be tomorrow?
Where am I right now?
What now?

[Peter]

Pascal warned against walking about in times that don't belong to you.

Now, as you artfully describe, is the only time that we own. But as you say we give it way in vain hope to those who neither value it or promise anything in return. It is a false and outrageous bargain.

What now is indeed the better answer to realising both human snd capitalism's potential.

Lovely work.

Peter