Excelerated Movement™, taking right action in pursuit of your BIG goal is linked to knowing and doing your next necessary thing.
Title Photo by cottonbro studio
Urgent or Important?
Once upon a time, there was a small stationery shop owner named Sarah. Like many business owners, Sarah had a lot on her plate. And, like most of us (shop owner or not), she started her days with good intentions but often became quickly sidetracked by endless emails, phone calls, and last-minute requests. These urgent tasks demanded her immediate attention and pulled her away from what was really important — the long-term goals she had for growing her business.
You see, Sarah had a BIG goal: she planned to expand her business into a second location within the next two years. This was something bold, important, and gratifying to her. However, every day she felt like she was spinning her wheels because she was constantly fighting fires — answering client complaints, approving orders, and chasing after the day’s emergencies. Sound familiar?
One morning, after realizing she hadn’t made any real progress toward her expansion goal in weeks, Sarah decided to try something different. Instead of letting the urgent tasks of the day dictate her time, she paused to reflect on what was most necessary to move her closer to her long-term objective. She asked herself, “What is the one next thing I can do today to get closer to opening a second location?”
The answer wasn’t an email or a quick phone call. It wasn’t anything that felt pressing in the moment. Instead, it was something important but not urgent. She needed to conduct market research for the potential location of her new store. That was the next, necessary thing.
Sarah blocked out two hours in her schedule that morning. She put her phone on silent, turned off email alerts, and focused on the research. By the end of the day, she not only felt more in control, but she had made tangible progress toward her goal. The daily fires were still there, but she’d tackled something meaningful that would benefit her business long-term.
Over the next weeks, Sarah continued to ask herself daily, “What is the next and necessary thing?” She found that doing this helped her separate what was urgent from what was truly important to her success. Little by little, those daily movements accumulated, and brought her closer to her ultimate goal.
“Do the Next and Most Necessary Thing”
“Your questions are unanswerable because you want to know how one ought to live. One lives as one can. There is no single, definite way for the individual which is prescribed for him or would be the proper one. . . But if you do with conviction the next and most necessary thing, you are always doing something meaningful. . .” [Jung]
Sarah’s story illustrates how focusing on important tasks — rather than just urgent ones — can help someone make real progress on their goals. Sarah could have easily continued reacting to whatever popped up in her inbox. Instead, by consciously asking herself what was necessary for her larger vision, she shifted her focus to long-term success.
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by urgent tasks while neglecting what’s truly important for your long-term success? What could you accomplish if, like Sarah, you focused on the next and necessary step each day? A key principle of Excelerated Movement™ is this: You don’t have to do everything, but you do need to do the next necessary thing. Let’s look at some ideas for how to do that.
The Trap of Urgency vs. Importance
Living in a culture that values speed and productivity, many of us confuse urgent tasks with important ones. You likely have urgent emails waiting for replies, meetings scheduled, bills to pay, and notifications buzzing on your phone. While urgency demands immediate attention, it doesn’t always align with what’s truly important. [Covey]
Urgent tasks are time-sensitive and can feel critical at the moment — like responding to a last-minute request from a colleague or dealing with a minor household issue. Important tasks, however, contribute directly to your larger goals and values. These are the steps that take you closer to realizing your dreams, even if no one is holding you accountable for them in the short term.
For example, Sarah frequently spent her evenings catching up on work emails and managing small household tasks that felt urgent. These activities filled her time but left her feeling unaccomplished when it came to her goal of expanding her business. By shifting her focus to the next important action — researching potential locations for her new store, contacting a realtor, and setting up times to view potential locations — she slowly but steadily built the foundation for her business.
Now, over to you. How much of your day is spent reacting to urgent but unimportant tasks? What would happen if you dedicated more time to important, long-term goals?
What Is the Next Necessary Thing?
So, what exactly is the next necessary thing? Simply put, it’s the next action that moves you toward your larger objective. It’s the one task that, if completed, will propel you forward. Excelerated Movement™ is the practice of identifying that critical task and executing it with focus and intention.
Let’s say your goal is to get healthier. There are dozens of ways to approach this: diet changes, workout plans, sleep improvements. But what is the next necessary thing for you right now? Maybe it’s as simple as scheduling a doctor’s appointment to get a baseline assessment. Or maybe it’s clearing your pantry of junk food. The important thing is to break your goal into manageable pieces and focus on the most immediate and impactful action.
In Sarah’s case, the next necessary thing for her was to locate a suitable area for her second store. Once she did that, the next necessary thing was reaching out to a realtor to schedule visits to potential locations. By breaking the larger goal into a series of necessary tasks, she maintained steady progress.
Think about your biggest current goal. What is the next necessary thing you need to do to move forward?
“From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from heaven;
And through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: ‘Do the next thing.'”
Avoid Overwhelm by Prioritizing
The Eisenhower Matrix, developed by former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, can be a helpful tool in this process. It categorizes tasks into four quadrants:
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when faced with a big goal or a long to-do list. One of the main benefits of focusing on the next necessary thing is that it reduces overwhelm. You’re no longer trying to tackle everything at once. Instead, you prioritize one important task at a time.
- Urgent and Important: Tasks you should do immediately.
- Important but Not Urgent: Tasks that will help you achieve long-term goals but don’t have immediate deadlines.
- Urgent but Not Important: Tasks that should be delegated or minimized.
- Neither Urgent nor Important: Tasks that are distractions and can be eliminated.
Of course, there are those urgent AND important tasks that we have to deal with. These are typically known as crises. But they are generally not the things that keep us from doing our next necessary thing. By consistently focusing on tasks in the second quadrant — those that are important but not urgent — you are ensuring steady progress toward your goals without getting sidetracked by unimportant distractions.
Suppose you’re trying to write a book. A lot of things might feel important: buying new writing software, organizing your desk, joining writing groups. But the next necessary thing is simply sitting down and writing your first chapter. Focus on that will help you avoid getting lost in tasks that feel urgent but don’t move you toward your larger goal.
When you feel overwhelmed, what is one strategy you can use to identify the most important task at hand?
The Power of Small, Consistent Steps
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about achieving big goals is that they require big actions. While bold actions are important, the truth is that consistent, small steps often yield the greatest results over time. Excelerated Movement™ thrives on momentum. Each small step builds upon the last, creating cumulative progress.
In Sarah’s case, no single action launched her new store. It was the steady accumulation of small, necessary steps — researching, reaching out, consulting with her coach — that ultimately led to her success. This concept is reinforced by the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which means “continuous improvement through small, incremental steps.”
When you focus on the next necessary thing, even if it seems minor, you are always moving forward. Consistent progress leads to big wins over time.
What is one small, consistent step you could take every day that would contribute to your long-term success?
Embracing Discomfort to Move Forward
Doing the next necessary thing isn’t always easy. Sometimes it requires stepping out of your comfort zone or making difficult decisions. But it’s important to recognize that discomfort is often a sign of growth.
The next necessary thing might mean having a difficult conversation with a loved one, facing an uncomfortable truth, or taking a bold action that you’ve been avoiding. When you feel resistance, that’s usually a sign that you’re about to make significant progress.
Sarah had to face several uncomfortable moments — such as declining invitations from friends to work on her business or investing more money in her new store. But by embracing those moments of discomfort, she was able to expand her stationery business into something she was proud of.
A question for you: What’s one uncomfortable but necessary action you’ve been avoiding? How could taking that step help you achieve your goal?
Staying on Track: Reviewing and Adjusting
Life isn’t static, and neither are your goals. Excelerated Movement™ requires regular reflection and adjustment. As you make progress, your priorities will likely shift; “the plan that gets you started isn’t the plan that gets you there”. [Olson] That’s okay. The important thing is to periodically reassess your goals and determine whether the next necessary thing has changed.
For Sarah, once she secured the new location, her next necessary thing shifted to hiring employees and stocking the new place. Staying flexible allowed her to pivot and continue her forward momentum.
In your own life, make it a habit to review your goals and progress regularly. What was the next necessary thing last month might not be the same today. By staying adaptable, you ensure that you remain on the path to success.
How often do you review your goals and progress? What signs do you look for to know when it’s time to adjust your focus?
Your Call to Action
Ultimately, achieving your goals doesn’t require a superhuman effort. It requires focus and intention. You don’t have to tackle everything at once but you do have to tackle something at once. Embrace the principle of Excelerated Movement™ and focus on doing the next necessary thing.
Take a moment to consider your biggest goal right now. What is one small, important, and actionable step you can take today? What would happen if you focused on consistently identifying and executing the next necessary thing, day after day?
Identify your most important goal and ask yourself: “What is the next necessary thing I need to do to move closer to this goal?” Write it down, commit to it, and then do it. Repeat this process daily, and watch as your goals come within reach.
By applying this practice, you can cut through the noise of daily distractions and make steady progress toward your dreams. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or for everything to fall into place. Start now, take the next necessary step, and keep moving forward. Now, you are embracing your Excelerated Life™!
What is your next necessary thing?
How could you start that today?
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Excelerated Movement™ — taking right action in pursuit of your goals — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Covey, Stephen R. The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
Jung, Carl G. Selected Letters of C.G. Jung, 1909-1961. Princeton University Press (April 19, 2016).
Olson, Jeff. The Slight Edge. Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2005-2013.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website. https://openai.com/