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stick with my plan

“On My Way.”

July 29, 2012 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment

There is a lot of comfort in having a plan.

It’s like:

If I take this step,

Then that step,

And do this thing exactly next,

And if the wind blows right

And the Moon is in the seventh house

And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Then peace will guide the planets,

And I will get what I want.

But somewhere between taking the step and doing the thing, a bunch of stuff can happen.

Your spouse raises those eyebrows and rolls those eyes.

The stock market falls 400 points.

Your boss announces her departure.

The hospital sends you a mystery bill related to the surgery you had three years ago.

Your kid gets accepted into the college of his dreams – an out-of-state private college dream (so much for the in-state land grant university you were secretly hoping for).

And there’s that unopened letter from the IRS sitting on the hall table.

And your plan? You feel like shelving it, or burning it, because it all seems so silly and pointless now that all this other stuff has come up.

But, wait.

That thing you want?  You still want it, right? Or a slightly different version of it?

I bet you do.

Let me suggest that it’s not your vision that’s the problem, it’s the plan.

The plan no longer works, my friend, given the facts of your current circumstances.

Feels like a big deal to dump a plan, I know,  because you invested so much time and attention on it, but… not really. There’s a very simple solution.

Just shift the plan by taking the true facts of your situation into account and ask, “What does this mean for me? How can I be agile? What part of this can I still do?”

Well, here’s an idea: you can still network for that new job – with a goal of connecting with one person a week, rather than the four or five in your original plan.

You can still open a business banking account, get business cards and direct your accountant or lawyer to get your consulting business started.

Even if you are eating hospital cafeteria food rather than home-cooked local produce, you can still put fruits and vegetables on your tray and support your vision of a healthier diet.

There’s always something you can do to support your vision. Some one thing.

It may not look like the grand, sweeping all-in kind of thing you wrote about in your plan, but that’s understandable.

You’ve got a lot going on in your life right now.

And rather than allowing circumstances to swamp your boat and leave you stuck – look at you, Smartacus! – you choose action.

Stacking up step after step after step in the direction of your vision.

Never, ever losing sight that you’re getting there, despite the circumstances that might trip you up.

And when asked, “Hey, how’s that plan of yours going?”, instead of looking down at your shoes and mumbling something about Jupiter and Mars, you happily smile and reply, “I am on my way.”

 

 

 

Filed Under: Career Coaching, Clarity, Getting Unstuck, Uncategorized Tagged With: being agile, choosing, deciding, making sure, planning, stick with my plan

Then, Life Interrupts

February 19, 2012 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment

 

So you’ve made the plan.

And you feel really good about it.

You’ve finally accepted that something needs to change, and you’re ready to do it – because you know that’s the only way you’re going to get yourself what you want.

A new job.

A promotion.

A partner.

More clients.

Getting that key certification.

You’ve got a plan and you’re ready to pull the ripcord.

But, then…

Then, life interrupts.

And someone you love gets sick.

You get sick.

You hear some very difficult news.

Whatever it is, it’s a crisis.  Totally unexpected.  And totally swamps your boat.

You drop everything, and race to help those who need you.

You, my friend, are human duct tape, holding anything and everything together.

And, depending on you and your life, this isn’t the first time you’ve raced to the rescue. You’re kind,you’re responsible, you have a good head on your shoulders, don’t you? And people count on you to do the hard things, especially when they can’t.

So you do.

I imagine this is resonating with you.

But remember your plan? Remember that thing you had committed to doing?  That thing that would give you more of what you want? That intriguing, fun, good-kind-of-challenge thing that will make you happy?

What about that?

In situations like this, many of us decide that it’s got to be one or the other. We have to decide: either I nurse my dying mother, or I start a business. Either I help my depressed child manage her illness, or I get a new job.

And sometimes we postpone – or drop – the plan that we know is good for us.

Last year, I wrote about The “And” Way – and maybe that idea can help those who feel caught between service and action.

Very few things in work and life are truly Either/Or, although it’s human nature to attempt to make them so. The And Way – where you get some of both of the things on your plate – is a “moving forward” approach, and keeps you from being thoroughly stuck.

So, yes, care for those you love in their time of need… but also stick with scheduling job interviews. Maybe you’ll have three interviews a week instead of six, but that’s OK – that’s The And Way.

Yes, deal with the crisis you face.  But also do the certification program – maybe you can start in six months, rather than next week. Or maybe you can halve the courses and complete the program in four months rather than two.

The And Way. When life interrupts your best laid plans, look closely at your situation and rather than defaulting to either/or choices, seek The And.

You know, if you cock your head to the right and look at the The And Way, you’ll see it slightly differently. When you do, you’ll see it also includes other people. As in: you and me.  Because you know that when you need help, there are plenty of people ready to come to your side.

They are also human duct tape.  If you give them the chance to be.

All you need to do is ask them, and they’ll become part of your And Way. And maybe find their own meaningful And in the process.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Career Coaching, Getting Unstuck, Managing Change Tagged With: dealing with crisis, Either/Or, helping an aging parent, I am stuck, ill spouse, stick with my plan

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