Just Take the Next Right Step: How Small Course Corrections Lead to Big Life Changes

In 2010, while attending Jack Canfield’s Breakthrough to Success event, I met Jana Stanfield. She was introduced as the Queen of Heavy Mental. Jana is a singer-songwriter who came on stage between sessions to inspire workshop participants with her music. One of her lyrics inspired me then and has stayed with me ever since:

“Just keep taking the next right step.”

At the time, I was navigating a period of transition and uncertainty. I was searching for clarity and didn’t have a clear roadmap for what was ahead. I was in that familiar “this can’t be all there is” place, and I knew something had to change. I remember feeling the pressure to figure everything out before deciding to act.

But something about that line in her song landed deeply. It offered a different way of approaching life. One that didn’t require certainty about the entire path, but instead invited a simple focus on the next right step.

After the song, Jack came back on stage and talked about how an airplane moves through the sky on the way from its departure point to its destination. The plane is always in motion, constantly adjusting its course. In fact, if one analyzed the plane’s flight path, we would see that it spends much of its time slightly off course, making tiny corrections along the way and yet it still arrives at its destination. 

Over the years, the simple idea that it’s okay to be off course sometimes, as long as we course-correct along the way, has given me permission to let go of some of the fear and perfectionism that once kept me stuck. That, combined with the idea that I only need to take the next right step, has been enough to keep me moving forward in the direction of my goals.

​And that has become the way I move through the world.

When things feel overwhelming or unclear, I remind myself that I don’t need to see the whole journey. I just need enough clarity to take the next step.

Another thing I’ve come to value deeply is using a simple but powerful reset tool that gives me the chance to disconnect from my head and reconnect with my heart when life gets noisy or chaotic. That quiet, heart-centered space helps me access my intuition and discern what that next step might be.

Recently, I realized how much this philosophy shaped the renovation of my RV.
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When I first bought it, the vinyl was literally pulling away from the luan in places. Apparently, vinyl wall and ceiling coverings don’t fare well in the Florida heat. The ceiling repair alone felt intimidating. For a while, it felt overwhelming and I just sat with it. Then I started researching. I watched videos on YouTube. I talked with people who knew more about RVs than I did, asking curious questions all along the way.

Eventually, I made the decision to begin repairing the vinyl.

I was afraid. I had never taken on a project quite like this before. Repairing the vinyl involved cutting away the loose material with an Exacto knife. Then came the cleaning, spackling, sanding, priming, caulking, and painting ... none of which I had ever really done before.

But I just kept taking the next right step.

Over time, the process became surprisingly simple. The deeper I got into the project, the more I realized that I wasn’t merely fixing some loose vinyl. I was actually creating a sanctuary on wheels.

The truth is, if I had focused on much more than simply taking the next right step, I’m pretty sure I never would have finished. But I did finish. On my birthday. And I'm pretty sure it was the best gift I could have ever received. As I spent the day putting on the finishing touches, I realized I had created a whole new space with beautiful light and energy flowing through. It is now the perfect space for living, working, writing, adventuring, and simply being. 

One step led to the next, and slowly the space transformed.

There were days I was bone tired and frustrated. But I came home. I rested. I took ibuprofen when I needed it. I took time off when I needed it. And little by little, it all came together. 

Step by next right step.

The other day, a friend who had been with me when I first picked up my “new-to-me” RV came to see it after all the renovations. As she stepped inside, she stopped in the doorway and said,
“Wow … this looks sooooo good.” She wandered through the space repeating, “Wow … what a difference.”

The funny thing is that when you work on something little by little, day by day, you stop seeing the transformation yourself. You still notice the small things that need attention or the paint splotches that need cleaning up. But in that moment, hearing her reaction, I realized something. I didn’t just renovate an RV. I created a space that feels cohesive, calm, and full of light and good energy. And along the way, I learned a lot of new skills and something important about myself.

I learned that I can move through the world on my own; using my resources, asking curious questions, and trusting my instincts.

Step by next right step.

And if I get off course, I can take a breath, adjust, and get right back on track.

If there’s something in your life that feels overwhelming right now—a decision, a project, or a transition—maybe you don’t need the entire path mapped out today.

Maybe all you need is the next right step.

Get quiet.
Give yourself a moment to get out of your head and reconnect with your heart.
Breathe.
See what shows up.
Then take that next right step.
And then the next.

You might be surprised where the path leads. ✨

Download my free Heart Breathing Tool and learn the powerful technique I use to move from stress to clarity and to my next right step.

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