Forward isn't strategy, it's action.

~ next step, next risk, no certainty of reward...

Next steps, we so often learn, begin with uncertainty, not clarity.

Movement matters more.

Perfect planning is a delusion.

Some of the most meaningful choices are unplanned or accidental.

The next step isn’t always planned. Sometimes it’s forced. Sometimes it’s overdue. But it’s always ours to take, whether or not we are poked or pushed.

We are often all alone. Sometimes that’s helpful. Solitude clears the head and resets the compass. But going it alone isn’t always wise or noble. Sometimes, just lonely.

A companion doesn’t need to bring answers. Just presence. And sometimes having someone to bring snacks or bake some muffins is just what the doctor ordered.

I think an illusion of readiness holds more people back than any real obstacle.

As if they’ll get somewhere by simply standing still. You can’t steer anything parked, and you can’t pump life into a deflated spirit until you start breathing again.

But does momentum or making noise mean you’re headed the right way?

Next steps are rarely clear until we’re knee-deep in them.

Plans help. Detours teach more.

Often, we’re winging it and hoping we don’t break an axle or our spirit.

The next leg of any journey starts with a choice: leap or stall, left or right, action or excuse. Whether it’s a career shift, a personal reinvention, or something quieter and deeper, that uneasy hum of uncertainty always shows up first.

And yet, we move. We launch. With or without confidence, we go. Because staying stuck feels worse.

This day, more than most, reminds me I’m not on the clock. I am the clock.

I’ve waited too long for others to greenlight what I already knew I needed to do.

That delay wasn’t theirs.

It was mine, disguised as patience.

I won’t know unless I test those waters, ask hard questions, make a statement, and take a stand.

I’ve learned not to worship anyone’s blueprint.

Some of my best moments were off-script. Or no script. Spontaneous choices, accidental collisions, and conversations that redirected the arc of my life.

Were they risky?

Yes. Unpredictable? Always. Worth it? Nearly every time.

The truth is, I don’t always know where I’m going.

But I know I’m going.

And this time, I don’t want to go alone. Not every path calls for a partner. This one might. Not for direction. For the company. A co-conspirator. Someone to call out the blind spots. Or sit quietly when the map makes no sense.

So I ask you, I ask me, I ask everyone to consider their question; when you reach that point of resolving something difficult, to re-start a dream or scheme without slowing down, or without the resources or help that would be nice-to-have, what’s next?

Not just next on a list, but next for you.

For me.

For someone else who matters …

For your real self, are you chasing it, or waiting for it to knock?

Sometimes we need to take the next step before we fully believe in it; it’s a leap of faith for some, a leap off a cliff for others, it’s not taking time to check if everything is perfect before leaping.

It never is …

---

Even when the plan is vague, forward is still a direction. Progress begins the moment we stop waiting for someone else’s permission to begin.

p.s. Some special friends took time to call or write - you made my annual b-day special beyond my capacity to describe, thanks heaps …

Basic Musings+ subscription is free; paid subscribers get bonus (+) content

- Archived SHORT STORIES + latest posting: Shadows on the Prairie

- Archived POETRY + latest postings … LEAD THE WAY and BAR SET HIGH, VERY HIGH

- Satisfaction tab: Here Comes Tomorrow

---

Other publications on my Substack:

Monday Morning Minute (32,400+) /// subscription is free; paid subscribers get bonus content

FACILITYCalgary (25,000) /// subscription is free, advertising/sponsorship

Returning this week:

REITrag

Thank you for reading Musings on Substack - the place where I publish this Musings column daily, and also post added content regularly, such as poems, short stories, and other editorial content - the ‘plus/+’ or bonus content available to ‘paid subscribers’