"Do The Next Right Thing" by Emily P. Freeman is all about the perpetual quest for the right ideal, the unending search for guidance in each questionable decision, and the prayer for strength to do the right thing. This concept is often seen in the Bible. After Jesus performed a miracle, He usually gave a simple instruction for the person to do.

This eye-opening book is all about making the right decisions in life, where choices are ours to make. It teaches us to make the right choices and decisions from God’s perspective, as we become more fully ourselves, when we abide in God's presence.

This book helps us to be open, alert and responsive to listen to God's voice, as He gently guides us about what to do next, and only 'next,' the next right thing. At every turn, we eagerly hear from God. Each important decision we make has a long-lasting consequence. The outcomes of our choices and decisions shape our lives and eventually shape our characters, molding us into the image God intends us to be. Our correct, well-made choices and decisions shape us. Unmade or improper decisions can paralyze us in fear or open our hearts to love.

Through this book, Emily P. Freeman guides us to learn how to create space in our souls to hear God’s voice, to do the next right thing, and make the correct choices and decisions in our lives. God is always with us in our indecisive moments, as we struggle to know what to do next, when life's overwhelming burdens become too much for us to bear. As God gently eases our tired hearts with His loving presence and fills us with His divine peace, He helps us to untangle all the tangled knots in our lives.

I have followed Emily P. Freeman's work for years via her blog, her books and her Next Right Thing Podcast. Her work truly has created space for my soul to breathe, the chief aim of her work. I struggle with analysis paralysis and decision fatigue on the daily and reading her new book The Next Right Thing was like settling in with a spiritual director, someone who can lead me through simple practices that will enable me to discern my next right thing in love. Emily kindly encourages her readers to get still, to choose quiet and to take time to really listen to our own emotions, intuition, even our bodies; all three speak to us as we navigate through the hectic hustle of our lives, making decisions big and small. Far too often, I push through my busy days without stopping, without being quiet, without listening to my own soul and then wonder why I feel so depleted. Emily P. Freeman's The Next Right Thing is helping me learn how to live a more attentive, soulful life and I am grateful. I will return to this book again and again and I have already recommended it to many of my friends.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley in addition to preordering it.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never reviewed a book before I’ve finished it. And even though I’ve only completed 64%, without a shadow of a doubt, I can 100% recommend "The Next Right Thing" by Emily P. Freeman.

I have read three of Emily’s four books and I have been listening to her podcast, “The Next Right Thing” for over a year now. I enjoy Emily’s soothing voice but I tend to learn best via the written word, so when I heard that she was writing the book, I preordered it immediately. Amazon didn’t even have the cover art to display!

I have early access to the book in digital format via Netgalley; the book releases on April 2. But unlike most books that I read, I am not flying through it. This book is meant to be savored. This book is meant to be read again and again. This book is meant to be the hand of God guiding you slowly and peacefully through making decisions in this messy, yet magnificent life. Yes, that is a direct reference to another favorite of mine, "This Messy Magnificent Life" by Geneen Roth. Geneen details how important it is to choose to live life from a full heart and to make decisions from that space. Emily tells you how to do that.

I have always struggled with making decisions. For over 35 years, I have driven my family crazy with my anxiety and worry – so much so that they have kept things from me until I absolutely had to know due to concern about my reaction. Because I want to do everything right, my fear of doing something wrong has caused me to do the wrong thing or be terrified to act at all. Over the past 13 years, I’ve learned how to combat my need for perfection and to make decisions from my heart. The Next Right Thing is the book I needed 13 years ago. Emily has put everything I’ve been learning about whole-hearted decision-making into one place.

The book is as light in tone as it is heavy with content, and the irony is not lost on me that as Emily is discussing putting down our phone to hear the silence, I’m reading on the Kindle App on my phone. I cannot wait for this book to be available in hard copy. I like to highlight and write in margins when I come to good points and The Next Right Thing has so many good points! I can’t finish reading because I keep having to hold her nuggets of wisdom in my mind, turning them over and over.

She ends every chapter with a prayer and a practice. A favorite is part of one below.

"May we not demand a spectacle, a miracle, or a sign.
May we simply, quietly, be still and know."

"The Next Right Thing" will help you know.

(Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy, all opinions are my own).

I was thrilled to get my hands on Emily P. Freeman's newest book. In a world of loud, often angry people, it is great to hear from a quieter soul who speaks lovingly and encouragingly. Her book is full of practical strategies that the reader can implement immediately.

Her book makes remarks on the decision making process that I continue to ruminate over such as: "We make better decisions by making decisions, not by thinking about making decisions." Freeman also gently nurtures the reader to listen to their own voice and God's voice, before turning to other voices, which is important to consider in this digital age.

For me, the most helpful question she posed is one I want to remember to consider the next time an opportunity comes before me: "If you were in a room of people and this was called out into the crowd, would you raise your hand to volunteer for this?"

Synopsis:

Whether we want to admit it or not, unmade decisions can cause a lot of turmoil and stress in our lives. In The Next Right Thing, Emily does her readers a great service by giving them practical ways to practice being better decision makers. A few chapter titles from the book include: "Know What You Want More," "Make a Most Important List," and "Be Where You Are." Each chapter begins with a brief story and/or guide post and ends with a prayer and a tip to actually put the aforementioned idea into practice. Within the book, Emily often repeats the phrase, "Do The Next Right Thing In Love" and encouragers her readers to make space for their souls to breathe.

My Thoughts:

I picked up this book thinking that I didn't really need it because I'm actually not too horrible at making decisions. I was aware that I do often get "decision fatigue" and I figured Emily would probably address that within the book's pages. I've been listening to Emily's podcast (also named The Next Right Thing) for a while now and it always helps me to take a much needed deep breath. I also have the privilege of attending church with Emily and getting to hear her read scripture which is like an opportunity to slow down and be present as well. So, all that to say, I decided that this book might be a good thing for me and I started reading.

I'm not exaggerating (something I tend to do just a little) when I say that I completely underestimated the truths that I would find within the pages of this book. As I read, it was almost as if Emily were speaking directly to me and helping me to see some things that I had pushed under the rug and refused to name.

These past few years have brought a lot of changes into my life. Typically, I'm pretty good with change, but there were A LOT of changes to navigate this time around. Here are some of the major ones:

I quit my job as a school librarian to become a stay-at-home mom. We bought our first home. My husband started his own business. I started my own business. My dad died. We had our second child. My husband's business grew a lot. My business grew a lot. My oldest became a very strong-willed 4 year old. My kids have been sick for what now feels like an eternity.

Even after I list them out, there is a battle going on in my mind about how much change that actually is. The dialogue goes something like, "Oh, that's not too bad. Some other people have way more stressors than that." What Emily helped me to realize is that naming things for what they are is really important. I failed to name these changes as hard things and was continuing on as I always had; trying to do all the things as I always have. I have learned so much about myself during these years of big changes and one of those things is that I feel responsibility for many things, some of which are not mine to be responsible for. I'm a stay-home-mom who has transitioned into having a business that I mostly run by myself (I did hire part-time help this year, praise). Emily shares a similar story about being a stay-at-home mom who is also a work-from-home writer and as I read the words on the page it was like a light bulb turned on and helped me see some of the things I had been ignoring, one being: I am no longer a stay-at-home mom. I am a mom who loves her kids dearly and wants to have a more flexible job so that I can be with them more, but I have a business that is a full time work-from-home gig. Y'all. This is huge. Just naming this truth has freed me up to see that my responsibilities have to change. I have added new things to my plate and therefore I must also take some things away. I can not, in fact, do all the things.

I could go on for pages about these aha moments that I experienced reading The Next Right Thing. I flew through the pages on my Kindle because I couldn't wait to see what Emily was going to say next. I am incredibly excited to get a hard copy on release day (April 2nd) so that I can sit down for a while with this beauty of a book and underline and mark up all the goodness found within its pages. Do yourself a favor and reserve a copy for yourself.

This book was excellent. I’ve always loved listening to the podcast because Emily always does such an amazing job directing us to the right place to make good God choices and the book is no different!

Emily P. Freeman's latest book, The Next Right Thing, brims with relevance, rhythm, and real hope.
Not merely for observing or ingesting, the message of this book calls the reader to enter, engage, and "do the next right thing in love" in the most personal, practical and sustainable ways.

As a committed listener to her podcast by the same name, I wondered if the stories would feel redundant.
They did not. In fact, while I recognized some as familiar, I felt like my own soul received them more thoughtfully … in my own pace. And even let them sink into a reflective space that honored my own desire to warm beyond a momentary awe to reign in my own rhythm to reflect my Hope more steadily, readily and sincerely in my every day world with my every day people.

The seamless pattern of each chapter - rich with relatability and a calling-onward - makes this an easy read alone, but also begs to be paired with a small circle of dear soul friends ready to sip, to share and to sing the fresh rhythm together.

Picking up The Next Right Thing is your next right thing. Emily is a trusted voice for both practical wisdom and heart-felt encouragement. If you're overwhelmed by a decision that needs to be made or you simply need a reminder on a soul-level that peace is possible, Emily's words are for you.

This book is not only for the chronically hesitant but also the anxious, the second guessers, and the questioners. Emily Freeman writes with such warmth and understanding, with gentle pushes and motherly wisdom. This book feels like having coffee with a friend. I will come back to this book again and again as decisions and choices arise.

It you love the podcast you will love the book. If you haven’t heard the podcast then this will be a great introduction. This book is wonderful. I love all the action items that I picked up to keep me going in the right direction.

For the past year I have been working through Emily P. Freeman's podcast. I was thrilled when I learned she would be coming out with a book on the same topic. I have often complained of decision fatigue and so her message really hits home for me. Emily has such a gift for helping to break down decision making into understandable pieces. I used to think of myself as capable of making quick decisions but lately, I've found myself wrestling with certain types of decision making situations. Some days, I'm just weary of the constant decision making of this stage of life! Emily's words were so soothing and comforting and exactly what I needed to hear. Her short chapters, everyday examples and relate-able style made me see the whys behind some of those areas that I was wrestling wit. I also love her prayers for each chapter and found her tasks doable. Half of me wanted to devour the entire book in one sitting and the other half of me wanted to savor a chapter a week because there is so much there to mull over. I have a feeling this will be a book I go back to often.

Even thought I am only about half way through the book, I loved it so much that I wanted to share an update so friends can take advantage of her pre-order specials. I don't make any commission on those sales but I do think think this is a book worth owning! I received an advance copy of this manuscript as part of the launch team, and was thrilled to start reading it before my own pre-ordered book was available. This is my own honest review of the materials.

Being an Enneagram 1, I have a very loud inner critic. I call her my inner hag. My inner hag uses a megaphone to remind me that my biggest weaknesses revolve around fear: fear of failure, fear of doing the wrong thing, fear of not being good enough, and fear of making the wrong decision.

In Emily P. Freeman’s latest book, she writes about how she was in an Uber with her bestie, and the driver told started to tell her a story about a difficult passenger she had driven. But instead of telling the two women about this passenger she said, “But we’re not going to give her words, ‘cause that’s exactly what she wants.’”

Each time I have tried to decide what my next right steps are, my inner hag bellows out all the reasons I’m choosing wrong: all the ways I can fail, all the things that might go wrong, and all the ways I’m going to disappoint not only myself but all those around me. It’s crippling and it keeps me from moving forward.

Emily’s book offers gentle and compassionate ways for you to consider what’s keeping you from making your next right step (and I resonate with almost all of them), as well as practical steps to help you to move forward.

This book came at a perfect time. I’m in a period of transition in my life, and my husband is getting ready to make a big decision that will impact our family in many ways. This is a book I will be reading again. Next time I’m going to go slower and take more notes. I highly recommend it.

I am just so excited to read Emily’s words of wisdom in her new book The Next Right Thing because this season of life I’m in had been full of decisions that seem hard for me to make, my mind feels cluttered and my soul feels stifled. Just listening to Emily’s podcast has helped me so much. I just knew when she announced this book that I had to have it, not so much for a self help book but for a soul care book, a book with gentle reminders that I’m not alone and there is a way to be guided back to healthy decision making.

Emily offers hope, she allows grace, she helps create space for our souls to breathe. She has done the work, walked the walk, wrote the words, but is still on the journey with the rest of us. I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy compliments of Netgalley and I believe with all my heart this is a book that we can all glean wisdom from.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher. I loved this book and am looking forward to reading it again. Emily is such a gentle soul and it comes through in her writing. I think my favorite chapters are finding a no mentor and waiting with hope. This book is well outlined and each chapter builds upon her framework for figuring out your next right thing. If you are looking for a better framework for making decisions, this is the book for you!

Emily P. Freeman's The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions are like words floating in your ear, whispering to your heart, asking you to trust yourself and to be your truest self as you make YOUR next right decision. As I read this book, it was as if Emily somehow had a window into my life and the patience to sit with me as I churned through all the thoughts in my head over and over again. This book couldn't have come at a more serendipitous time in my life -- and I know it will be a book I will be coming back to over and over again. Emily and her words are a gift to us all.

Reading "The Next Right Thing" was like discovering a new heart-friend and compassionate guide along this journey of life. Emily P. Freeman so beautifully helps her readers create space for thoughtful decision-making and needed soul care. The recommended practices at the end of each chapter are so timely for me in this season, and I know this is a book I'll pick up again and again. Reading this was like a cup of cold water for my thirsty spirit. Thank you, Emily!

I really loved this book. It's a simple easy read and full of wisdom. It is a great resource for those who struggle with indecisiveness or for people how have a big decision to make. Even if you aren't in a season of making decisions, this book is great for helping you become grounded in life. I love that a) this book has a Christian focus and I love how the book talks about listening to your soul and figuring out (along with prayer) what it is that you want in life. Great read.

Emily Freeman always feels like a kind companion when I read her books and this one is no different. As we all have hard decisions to make, it's a good skill to know how to do it well. In this book, Emily doesn't necessarily tell us how she makes good decisions and then how we should follow her way of doing it, but rather teaches us how to discover our own path to making good decisions that fits us. She leads us in reflecting on our own life rhythm with God, our personality and our season to determine our best next right thing without ever bossing us to do it her way. She's a mentor and a friend who's words lead us both closer to God and closer to being able to make decisions that move us towards being fully ourselves.

The Next Right Thing is Emily P. Freeman’s newest book, and a must-read for everyone who has to make lots of decisions every day. The world we live in, with its technology, constant noisy interruptions, and fast pace, gives us very little time to make thoughtful choices about how we use our time and energy. We often find ourselves doing too many things because we agree to participate before we really think about the consequences to our families and ourselves. Emily addresses this issue in a beautiful and graceful way. Each chapter introduces us to steps that gently remind us of the importance of doing what is best for ourselves and our loved ones. She helps us discern between the voices of others telling us what we should do, and the quiet voice of God as he speaks to our hearts and leads us to the next right thing.
I have read the other books by Ms. Freeman, and each one has given me a new perspective for the way I choose to live and the importance of developing a deeper relationship with God. Her writings always seem to meet me where I am and help me move forward. Thank you, Emily, for using your gift of writing to help others.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful book, and I think I will be reading it over and over and over again.

It's perfect for someone who has a hard time making decisions, or even someone who just gets a lot of anxiety when it comes to making decisions.

It's perfect for just about everyone, really.

It's full of practical advice, encouragement, and focus.

Just like her podcast with the same name, Emily P. Freeman has a way with her words that get right to the heart of the matter.

It was easy to see what I was using as excuses and what I was really feeling about things when it came to looking at some decisions based on her thoughts.

I'm still processing all of this and I know I'll keep referring back to this book. It's just one of those that I will keep on hand for whenever I feel anxiety about a decision or I don't know how to figure out what I want to decide.