By: Jennie Scott
Humans are, by nature, goal-oriented. We are a people who plan for the future and work in the present for that unseen yet approaching reality.
This is, perhaps, why we love our weekends so much.
In our relationships, we know what we want and what we want to improve.
I want to communicate my emotions better, and I want my marriage to be a model for my children.
In our work, we set goals to motivate us when the day-to-day gets hard.
I want to make more sales this quarter than last.
In fitness, in faith, in housekeeping and health, we decide what’s next and what we want to achieve.
We’re goal-setters. That’s who we are.
What do we do, then, when we meet a goal and are unsure of what’s next?
This is where I am. This is the space I’m living in right now. A place of uncertainty.
In the last few weeks, I met every major goal I had planned.
I released a book. I ran a marathon. I spoke at women’s events.
All of the things I had been planning for, thinking about, training for, and preparing for are over. They are done. The goals were set and achieved, and there’s nothing huge on the horizon.
Everyone keeps asking me, “What’s next?” and my answer is always this: “I don’t know.”
I don’t know what’s next, and I’m learning to be OK with that. It doesn’t mean nothing is, and it doesn’t mean I won’t set new goals. But for right now, I don’t know.
For right now, I will rest.
I will reflect on what I learned as I worked in this season, and I will wait for the Spirit to guide me to my next right step. But I refuse to rush it. I will wait in patience and peace.
We humans are, by nature, goal-oriented. But we are not, by nature, good at rest. We must learn the art of being still, the value in not over-planning and forcing. We must train ourselves to wait for Spirit guidance and not strive for human achievement.
I will rest. I will read. I will study, and I will sit with God.
At some point, I will set another goal, and I will work like mad to achieve it.
But for now? I don’t know what’s next.
And I’ve learned I don’t need to know.
Article supplied with thanks to Jennie Scott.
About the Author: Jennie is married with two children who shares lessons from her own unexpected journeys and encouragement you might need for yours.