When you’re wondering, “now what?”

This past weekend my husband Chuck and I were in Iowa for yet another wedding—our seventh invitation of the year.

Seven weddings. In one year. That’s a lot.

And don't get me wrong, I love a good wedding! There’s nothing better than seeing two people in love committing their life to one another in front of all the people they care about.

I cry every single time.

This one, held at an old farmhouse in the country, was absolutely gorgeous (all the dahlias especially!), and it was so fun to celebrate such a special day with our dear friends, who we don’t get to see nearly as often as we like.

But I'm not gonna lie—between all the weddings and the travel and the planning and the getting ready, this year has felt a little...scattered.

And the next day, as we sat around in our pajamas decompressing and catching up, I found myself asking my friend Kim, "so what's next for you now?"

After all, weddings are a big deal, especially in the age of Instagram & Pinterest. And it’s not just the wedding. It’s the bridal showers, the bachelorette weekend, finding the perfect dress, preparing for the out-of-town guests. It’s pretty much all-consuming.

And then the big day finally comes and it goes way too fast, and then just like that it’s all done.

So I wasn’t all that surprised when she said something like, "Honestly? I have no idea. I don't even know what to do with myself now."

Because I’ve been there too.

We all have.

Maybe it's after a big project at work finally wraps up. Maybe it's when your youngest leaves for college and your house is empty for the first time. Maybe it's when you finally take that dream vacation, after saving for years, only to have it be over with nothing else to look forward to.

Or maybe, like me this year, it's when life has been so full of beautiful distractions—weddings and travel and celebration—that you suddenly realize you've been living in maintenance mode, and you're ready to get intentional again. (Which is exactly what inspired me to create The Finish Strong Project!)

Whatever the case, it’s easy to feel unmoored once the big thing is behind us. It feels uncomfortable. Unsettling. Sometimes like there’s a big empty void stretching out in front of us.

But the truth is that those moments of uncertainty are also an invitation.

After all, as Mary Shelley once wrote, "the beginning is always today." Along those same lines, C.S. Lewis noted that "you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

In other words? These "now what?" moments aren't dead ends—they're opportunities to choose what comes next.

If you're feeling a little lost right now, or scattered, or like you're just going through the motions, that's not something to be ashamed of. It's actually the perfect starting point.

Because when you don't have a big, obvious thing demanding your attention, you get to be more intentional. You get to pause and ask yourself: What matters most to me right now? What do I want to work toward? How do I want to finish this year?

Those aren't easy questions, but they're the right ones.

And here's the thing I've learned—you don't need a perfect plan or a life-changing goal. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply choose a focus. Pick one thing that excites you, that pulls you forward, that gives your days a little more purpose.

That's my challenge for you this week: Ask yourself those questions. Don't just let the rest of the year happen to you. Decide what you want it to look like.

Because there's still plenty of time to make it count.

(And by the way, if that’s something you want help with over the next 90 days, then there’s still time to join me in The Finish Strong Project! We’ve already had more than 500 people commit to finishing the year strong, and I can already tell that the next 3 months are going to be EPIC!)

Live with purpose, friend, and have an amazing week!

xoxo, Ruth

P.S. If you're in that "now what?" space right now, I'd love to hear from you. Just hit reply and tell me what you're thinking about focusing on. Sometimes it helps just to say it out loud.

This week’s podcast episodes…

What’s cooking in my kitchen…

The latest from my Instagram…

Instagram is my jam! If you’re there too, I’d love to connect with you—find me at @RuthSoukup or @ruthsoukupbiz for online business tips!

ruthsoukup

262K followers

View more on Instagram