Patti Smith, author, professional keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and life success coach, offers the solutions so many of us seek when life doesn’t go the way we want in her new book What Am I to Do Now? Simple Strategies to Navigate the Unknown and IGNITE What’s Next in Your Life. Patti knows we all want meaningful work, a sense of fulfillment, and a chance to make a difference in the world, but many of us don’t know where to start or we feel we don’t have the knowledge to make a better, more satisfying life possible. In this book, Patti offers the tools people need to evolve from where they are, what she calls your what’s next evolution.
Patti begins by reminding us of what positive children we probably were; back then, we believed anything was possible and we let our imaginations have full rein. But then we were told it was time to grow up, to “get real,” so we came to believe real life did not include fulfilling your dreams. Patti knows nothing is further from the truth. The problem is we become trained to look to others for our validation when all along what we need is inside us. We just need to learn to tap into it, cultivate it, and then take inspired action to get our show started as we step into the spotlight on our own Life’s Stage.
What Am I To Do Now? is divided into three sections to help you through the process of becoming the leading lady or man of your own life. Part I: Establishing a Foundation includes how to shift your mindset to what is possible for you, connecting with why you want it, and letting go of past obstacles that could hold you back from achieving it. Once you are clear on these areas and have established a strong foundation, it’s time to ignite in Part II. Patti shares her seven-step system, IGNITE U, which is an acronym for the seven steps you need to take. Finally in Part III, you will learn to break through the mind blocks that hold you back.
I won’t go into the details of all seven steps of the IGNITE U System, but I will share a few of Patti’s messages that really resonated with me in What Am I To Do Now? and that helped me rethink some of the obstacles in my own life so I could see them as possibilities.
One thing I appreciated is Patti’s emphasis on how this system will work for you no matter where you are in life or what age you are. As she states, “We were not created to evolve and then retire to live out the status quo. We were designed to continue to grow and evolve. We do that by continuing to lean into our possibilities, by continuing to ask, ‘What’s next for me? What’s important to me? How can I serve this world using my gifts and talents? What would I love?’” Being middle-aged now, I find retirement is closer than the start of my career, but the fire still burns in me, and I appreciate the reminder that new adventures are in front of me rather than just settling for retirement. The same is true with any goal we accomplish, whether it’s high school graduation, buying a house, or getting a promotion. Once we achieve that goal, we can never just settle. There is always more to be achieved and to enjoy. In life, we will have many what’s next evolutions.
Patti also knows how hard it is to see our potential. We may not think we have the skills, talents, or experience to achieve what we want. But she encourages us to have an “anything-is-possible attitude.” She provides two wonderful examples of people who achieved new positions that might have seemed difficult or even unexpected because of past achievements. In the first example, she was hired for a job in the fashion industry because her resume included that she had run the LA Marathon. Her employer told her, “I know the discipline, focus, and effort this took both mentally and physically. I don’t need to know much more. You’re hired.” In the other example, she relates how her mother was offered a job by someone from their church who said if she could get her family, including six kids, to church every week and on time, he knew she had the skills to run his office.
Patti’s stories also reflect the theme that we are the leaders of our own lives. In her mom’s case, she was a leader without realizing it. Patti says we have to take the lead because no one else will do it for us. We have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Being the leader in your own life means if you’re not happy, you do something about it. As her husband would say, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. We have to become part of the solution by creating a clear vision of what we want and then going for it. Patti states, “This is commitment time. It’s about closing the door on the idea of maybe I’ll make it happen and claiming that Absolutely, I can and I will make this happen—period.”
I love that Patti also clarifies that “getting ready” is just a stalling technique. Instead, we need to take what she calls “inspired action.” Stalling is a lot like procrastinating. One of the biggest reasons we procrastinate is fear. We’ve probably all heard that FEAR means “Forget Everything And Run” but Patti reworks it to mean “Face Everything And Rise.” After all, as she quotes Jack Canfield as saying, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” That’s why we need to take action, even if it’s “imperfect inspired action.”
Patti has a lot more to say that will inspire and motivate you to figure out your what’s next evolution. She discusses topics like forgiveness and taking care of yourself so you can help take care of others—she was a caretaker for her sister when she was dying of cancer and in the process, she learned to forgive her sister’s ex-husband. She encourages us to find like-minded people, whom she calls “partners in believing,” to help us achieve our goals. And finally, she reveals how to live a vision-driven life, one focused on the kind of life we want to create.
There is so much more in What Am I to Do Now? that will ignite you to figure out your what’s next evolution. From a plethora of inspirational quotes to insightful exercises, this book is filled with the tools you need to decide where you want to go and then get there and beyond.
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