What do you do when something does not go as planned? What’s the way forward? McKay provides the simple answer to this - pivot to what’s next. So many people get frustrated when things go wrong and forget that, as McKay demonstrates today, asking and doing what’s next is the path of happiness.

He starts the episode with the story of Karen McWatters who lost her leg and a close friend in the Boston Marathon bombings. Despite the adversities Karen encountered, she asked herself ‘What next?’, and went on to find opportunities even in the face of despair. McKay then talks about the power of asking ‘What’s next?’, how it can propel us to move forward, and the importance of developing the habit of ‘What’s next?’, as well as ways to develop this habit. The episode rounds off with McKay drawing lessons from the life of Rachel Ray who went on to start a new path by focusing on what’s next. There is great power to be found in posing and answering this simple question - listen in today to hear how it can change your life.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

- The devastating event that made Karen McWatters go on her quest of ‘What’s next?’

- Finding what’s next in horrible circumstances

- The power of ‘Yes, and?’ - lessons from improv

- Why you need to master the habit of ‘What’s next?’

- What is prospective psychology?

- How to think prospectively and why you should

- Harvard University’s study results on happiness in life

- Why the habit of ‘What’s next?’ is important for a happy life - the story of Bill Graham

- Ways to develop the habit of ‘What’s next?’

- Removing the ticks in your life

- Starting another path - lessons from Rachel Ray’s life

Quotes:

“Her attitude of ‘What's next?’ changed everything.”

“’Yes’ is awareness and acceptance and appreciation. It means ‘I'm listening’…and is saying ‘What's next?’. It is fueling you with agency and autonomy and action, and is taking a clear step forward to add to whatever you've received.”

“There's tremendous power in developing the habit of ‘What’s next?’”

“Prospective psychology is the practice of creating an image in your mind of your possible future.”

“The habit of ‘What's next?’ helps us to be happy.”

“Over time, researchers observed it's not the bad things that happen to us that determine our happiness, but what we choose to do with those things that matter.”

“Don't let yourself get dragged down into other people's complaints.”

“Even though you might not like the situation you're in, you can choose to accept it, and once you learn to accept what it is and then focus on what you can control in the future, you win. Remember, the only thing that matters is your response.”

“You can't change others, you can't change the past, you can only change your response.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen