Next Positive Action | Zoom-Out Tools

Why use it

We often feel an uneasy tension from the gap between how something is and how we would prefer it to be. It might be mundane, like paying off a debt, or something bigger about our life or ourselves. That tension can bring anxiety and worry, and when several are running at once, in different parts of our lives, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

One way anxiety shows itself is through ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts. Mindfulness and CBT offer ways to deal with them: notice them and “stamp on your ANTs”, bring your attention back to the here and now, or change the way you see the situation. But some situations do need you to do something on a practical level. That’s where this Zoom-Out helps.

What it is

A Self dimension Zoom-Out that brings together personal productivity and wellbeing. It draws on David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2001), positive psychology, Stoicism and cognitive behavioural approaches.

At the heart of Getting Things Done is one simple question about anything that is demanding your attention, time and effort: what’s the next action? Some things need only one action, which you can do straight away, defer or delegate. Others need several steps, but even then, the most important thing to find is the next action. Reducing many open loops to a single next action for each brings a sense of clarity and order out of chaos.

The Next Positive Action takes that idea into the world of anxiety and those pesky ANTs:

Uneasy tension » Automatic Negative Thoughts » Next Positive Action

You may choose to do your Next Positive Action straight away, defer it or delegate it. It may be the first of many actions needed to resolve the tension, but the next action is what counts right now.

Why it works

✓ It shifts your focus from the uneasy tension to a path to resolution.
✓ It switches your focus from something negative to something positive: from a negative thought to a positive action.
✓ It moves you from helplessness to empowerment.
✓ It focuses on what you can control. You can only ever control two things: your own thoughts and your own actions.
✓ It lets you put the tension to one side, to get it off your mind for now, knowing you have a Next Positive Action to take, now, later or by someone else.

You may find the Automatic Negative Thoughts don’t arise as much. And if one does, you can switch your focus to your Next Positive Action. It’s an effective way of stamping on the ANT.

When to use it

Something unresolved keeps nagging at you and the same worrying thoughts keep coming back.
Several things are piling up at once and you feel overwhelmed.
You know you need to do something, but not where to start.

For stress in the moment, see also Acute Stress.

If anxiety feels overwhelming or won’t ease, talk to your GP or a qualified professional. Want to use the Next Positive Action with your team? Message Rob on LinkedIn.