Last week I attended a workshop, maybe it was a seminar, or a retreat, I’ll stick with workshop, called “Finding Your Next Right Answer.”

In the materials, they show the following under “who should attend”:

Those seeking to deepen their own sense of possibility and creativity.

In the “Workshop Details” section, the following:

The workshop agenda is designed around exploration  and experience of the different philosophies and techniques to develop your creative thinking, shift your perspective, reconnect to your intuition and your essential self, develop the skills of appreciative inquiry and rekindle your sense of passion.

Wow, I don’t think I actually read that before I signed up.  For those that know me, deep introspection is not comfortable for me.  I’m getting better with it, as I get older, or maybe as I do it more, it gets easier.  Maybe, I’ve come to recognize that there’s something great on the other side.

One of the facilitators was Dewitt Jones.  I’ve heard him speak before and I like his outlook on life (”Celebrate what’s right with the world”).  I’ve also followed his column in Outdoor Photographer (”Basic Jones”).  It was amazing to spend the better part of four days with him.  He has a peace, a calmness, that is very inviting.  He also has a passion, not just for photography, but for many things.  It’s hard to avoid being inspired when you are around passionate people.  I think this is somethig I need to work on as well…being around passionate people.

His partner in this workshop, Tania Carriere, has a background in management consulting and life coaching.  She brings many practices with her, some of which really caught me off guard.  I found myself trying to avoid things like Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi, but I decided to trust Tania and give it a try.  Again, something great on the other side.  Completely unexpected, it was wonderful.

At the workshop, we learned many things.  I could make a list of the specific things, but I think each of us got a little something different from each of them.

The biggest “a-ha” I had was around the Next Right Answer.  I went in with the idea that the Next Right Answer was a destination.  Really, it’s a journey.  For example, getting a college degree may be your next right answer.  But, there are many right answers along the way.  Applying to a school, registering for classes, studying, etc.  To get to the “Big” right answer, there are many smaller right answers along the way.  It’s also important to have some flexibility around your right answer.  For example, you may be two years into a degree in computer science when you learn that anthropology is really your passion.  You could beat yourself up about not picking the “right” right answer the first time.  But, you’re still heading for a degree, you have some of your education taken care of.  The things you learned will be a part of you, and you made a small course change early in your journey.  You could have waited until you recieved your degree in computer science then decided to give anthropology a try.  Big course change, late in the journey.

Another interesting thing happened, around the “course correction” conversation.  I didn’t see it until someone else was talking about it.  Many people view their life decisions as part of a “grand” plan, everything has to be figured out, planned, scheduled, and prepared for.  In the software development (or project planning) world, this would be called a waterfall model.  These are great tools, if none of your assumptions change.  Like software development, life has some unknowns.  You can’t plan for every contingency along the way.  In the software world, many are moving to a project management technique referred to as “agile.”  The most well know methodology here is Scrum (yes, as in rugby).  Here, you have your grand plan in mind, but you only plan and define your actions for a couple of weeks, or month (iteration).  At the end of the period you look at what you accomplished, reevaluate your goal and define your actions for the next iteration.

Much like the college example above and software development that I know so well.  Life is similar.  Often “grand plans” change, not that they were the wrong “grand plan”,  but other factors become known and adjustments need to be made.

Consider this next time you discover that your life didn’t turn out as you planned.  Look at what you’ve accomplished, reevaluate your plan, make adjustments, and start moving forward…towards your next right answer.

There were many other things I learned, or at least discovered, about myself.  Fortunately, I’m now using a journal to capture my thoughts and discoveries.  I can go back and review my thoughts from the workshop and reapply them as I go forward.

I had a great time and have started adding new practices into my life.  Plans for the future?  Yes, I have great plans…stay tuned as they unfold.