Just do the next right thing!

In the growth groups I’ve led, I’ve met a lot of people who feel stuck or behind where they think they should be. Many of us believe we need to figure out the whole path before we move forward. We don’t. We just need to identify the next right step—and take it.

I was recently invited to serve on a panel at a fundraiser in front of about 140 people. Although public speaking is a common fear and not one I’m immune to, I jumped at the chance! I shared some wins as well as personal challenges related to financial stewardship and did my best to speak from the heart.

Afterward, someone told me, “I admire how willing you are to be transparent.” The part of me that cares way too much about what people think has, in the past, translated compliments like that in my mind as, “Good job not being afraid to look stupid in front of people, Brant!”

This time, that thought danced in and out of my head as quickly as it came. My mind was protected by the truth that I was doing exactly what I believed I was supposed to be doing. I was just doing the next right thing.

Not every opportunity is the next right thing. But when something you care about, something you’re equipped to do, and a real need come together, pay attention—that may be your next right thing. In this case, my passion for the ministry, my desire to grow as a speaker, and the opportunity to speak about stewardship all aligned.

Even if I didn’t deliver my message perfectly, I figured someone’s got to be willing to get up front and show people that you don’t have to be perfect to be useful—and why not me? :)

Here are three reasons to do the next right thing—even when you don’t know where it will lead.

1. Courage

Doing the next right thing will help you become a more courageous person. Growth is imperceptible in the short term, yet every time we do something difficult, we become more capable of doing it again.

I believe getting up in front of people is worth doing, so I’ve made it a goal to spend hundreds of hours doing it. After this event, I realized how much more comfortable I have become. What once took a great deal of courage now feels comfortable. Every time you say “yes” to something hard, you increase your capacity to say “yes” to something even harder in the future. Courage compounds.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV): “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

2. Self-Discipline

Doing what is right over and over becomes a habit. One of my mentors, Rick Jones, says, “Discipline puts iron in your bones.” You will be strengthened regardless of the outcome of the task.

My son is currently in Marine combat training. His next right thing this week was digging a foxhole by hand, filling it in, and digging another one a foot over—literally! It’s not about the foxhole; it’s about the man.

He doesn’t always appreciate the methods the sergeants are using to help form him and his fellow Marines, but I can already see a change taking place in him. Although he sometimes feels beaten down by the heavy demands and enforced discipline, the truth is that he is being built up and strengthened. He walks differently. He talks differently.

Proverbs 25:28 (KJV) shows us that the opposite is also true: “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” We’ve seen leaders who lacked self-discipline lose everything—marriages, careers, ministries.

3. Further Opportunities

Doing the next right thing often leads to further opportunities.

There was a time in my career when I didn’t like my job. The company was great, and my boss was great, but I didn’t feel like it was the right fit for me.

Unsure what to do next, I prayed, and my mind went back to notes I had made in a journal years earlier. Sitting beside the pool at the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, and working through Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I had realized that my life’s goal was to love God, love others, grow, help others grow, and be a good steward of what God had given me.

Focusing on the “grow” part of that purpose, I ordered more than $1,000 worth of Zig Ziglar materials. That investment eventually led me to meet Tom Ziglar, the proud son of Zig Ziglar. That led to an unforgettable training in Dallas. That led to the confidence I needed to buy my own business—where I could grow more and help others grow. It was also a dream come true!

To be clear, we’re not always going to see—even in hindsight—how one “next right thing” led to a great result in our lives. There’s no better way to get where you’re supposed to be than to take the next right step.

Doing the next right thing is how we grow. Each right step develops courage. Each right step develops self-discipline. And each right step helps make the path ahead clearer. Clarity usually comes through action—not while we wait for the next big idea to appear.

What’s your next right thing? What do you need to do today that—regardless of the immediate outcome—will make you more courageous and self-disciplined and help clarify the path ahead? If you’re comfortable or maybe for accountability, share in the comments below!