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Change of plans
Today was a super productive today for me... well, at least it was supposed to be. Before going to bed last night, I prepared my entire plan for today. I knew what stores I needed to go to, what I needed to buy at each store, and what I was going to do when I got back home. But things didn’t go quite according to plan. I woke up late, meaning that I missed the first few minutes of church online, and then after church somehow accidentally fell asleep for an hour on the floor. By the time I woke up and got my wits about me, it was already noon. Needless to say, my “super productive day” was off to a rocky start. I think many people, including myself, often make great plans only to watch them fall apart. Sometimes they fall apart due to a lack on our part, and sometimes they fall apart due to factors outside of our control. Either way, it is always important to be able to deal with things that don’t quite go according to plan.
After eating a quick lunch I was off to accomplish all my errands. However, after going to 3 stores, I was only able to find 4 of the 15 things I was planning on buying. I mean, talk about a disappointment. And to top off the disappointment - the light bulbs I bought weren’t even the correct type. All I can say is thank the Lord for Amazon because there wasn’t a single ounce of me that wanted to go back to the store or try more stores today.
But then there I was, sitting on the floor in my room, staring at a light fixture, and feeling utterly defeated. I had planned this day to go so well and be so productive - but it was anything but that. I think it is easy in moments like that to really beat yourself up about how you could’ve done things better to accomplish more. I could’ve picked better stores to go to, I could’ve woken up earlier, I could’ve skipped the accidental nap, and the list goes on. But at the end of the day, what I “could’ve” done doesn’t help me feel better. So in the midst of my defeat, what did I do? I got up, gave myself a little pep talk, and charged at the rest of the day with the determination to change the direction of the day - except that’s not at all what I did. What I actually did was this: I got a snack (Goldfish and M&M’s) and sat on my couch to watch TV for an hour. I was tired, and it was the break I needed before trying to tackle the rest of my to-do list. The society we live in often tells us that we always need to be striving forward and accomplishing great things. But if I’m being honest, I’m not sure how many great things I’m gonna be able to accomplish without my mid-afternoon snack. All kidding aside though, I think it is important to take a step back, take a break, and reset sometimes, especially when things don’t go according to plan.
So that is my challenge to you this week: accept when things don’t go according to plan. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to always try hard and not give up; but when things are out of your control and the plan has fallen apart or changed directions, it is important to just breathe and accept what’s happening. No amount of saying “I could’ve,” “I should’ve,” or “I wish,” is going to help you feel better. I know sometimes it can feel like the world is falling apart when plans start to waver - but I think the sooner we’re able to realize and accept what is happening, the better.
Stay Motivated,
-Dan
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