5 Key Things To Do When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Have you ever poured yourself so deeply into something, made plans, and dreamt of all the wonderful outcomes, only for it to go opposite from that which you had planned or envisioned? Well, chances are you have and you’re certainly not alone.

Life is so unpredictable. We make plans, which is good but sometimes things don’t always go the way we’ve planned. When those plans, dreams, and wishes are unrealized, it can bring about feelings of deep sadness and discouragement. It can even get to the point where all you want to do is isolate yourself and quit trying. Whenever we are faced with difficult challenges, we could either choose to

1. Wallow in anger, self-pity, discouragement, depression, and quit trying.

OR

2. Hope, believe, learn, grow, trust the process, and keep moving forward.

Choosing to keep moving forward even when the situations that surround you seem unfavorable, is important and needed to achieve success. The change we desire to see only occurs when there is movement, so don’t stop moving.

Here’s how to keep moving forward:

1. Change your Perspective

Perspective is everything, it’s one of the things that would keep you from giving up when life gets difficult. Life is full of ups and downs, we all love the good times and try to avoid the bad which sometimes is unavoidable. How we view the things that happen to us in life often determines how we would react to them.

Here is a question for you- How do you view the cup of water in the image above, would you say it’s half-full or half-empty?

Your perspective will determine your answer. I would say it’s half full, not for any particular reason, but looking at it as half full gives the hope that with just a few more drops of water, it will be full to the brim and maybe even overflow. With a change in perspective, you can use whatever life throws at you to your advantage, using life’s lemons to make a cold and refreshing glass of lemonade.

Author Shawn Achor said, “having the right perspective will do more than just improve your happiness, it will propel you to achieve your goals”.

Most successful people didn’t have everything in their life go easy and smooth sailing, they experienced resistance, and had to change their perspective, and use life’s curveball’s as a propellant in achieving their goals and dreams. Changing the way you see things, changes the things you see. Don’t look at your failures, delays, and detours as the end, look at them as the beginning and you will learn, grow into your purpose, and achieve success.

2. Stay Positive

Positivity is the fuel that keeps us going. What you think and say to yourself can either make or break you. A strong and steady mind is needed to achieve almost anything in life. If you find yourself mentally fatigued, it may be because of your lack of positivity. Just as junk food is dangerous to your body, so negativity is to your mind. Learn to always speak positively, saying things like:

1. My bad experiences don’t define me.

2. This difficult situation is just a phase and it will pass.

3. What I’m going through now is preparing me for where I need to be.

4. I’m never alone, God is with me and working things out for me.

5. I’m beautiful and unique and nothing can change that.

6. Life can be tough but I am tougher.

7. I’m not a failure.

8. I can and I will achieve unbelievable success.

Make it a habit to speak, read, and listen to things that inspire and motivate you to be the best. When you commit to doing this, your words will become your reality.

3. Practicing Gratitude

Being grateful for where you’re right now and what you have, opens the door for what you want and where you want to be. When we allow yourself to get caught up in what could have and should have been, we become blinded to all the possibilities right in front of us. Gratitude often brings clarity, which is needed in order to figure out the next step to take.

4. Be Prepared

The fact that things didn’t happen in the past, doesn’t mean they won’t happen in the present or future. Don’t judge your future based on what has happened in the past, doing this will lead to you missing out on the amazing life that’s ahead of you.

Put your past behind you and make preparations today for tomorrow. It’s said that when preparation meets opportunity, there is a success. It’s painful to miss out on opportunities due to the lack of preparation, I’ve learned this the hard way.

Preparation for you could mean getting a degree, learning a new skill, losing some weight, or whatever the case may be. Things may have not worked out in the past but be confident that they will in the future and aim to be ready when it does.

5. Be Patient

You cannot plant a seed today and expect to harvest it tomorrow, things take time to grow. We don’t always like to wait, we prefer things to happen immediately but life doesn’t always work that way.

Being in the social media age makes waiting even more difficult. Self-comparison makes us want what others have, and most times we are unaware of how long it took to get where they are. Life is a journey and not a competition. Learn to be patient and trust your process, it will reward you in the end.

Amid all the uncertainties that may surround you, choose to:

1. Change your perspective

2. Believe and speak the right things

3. Be grateful for what you’ve got

4. Prepare for the amazing future ahead of you

5. Go, grow and glow at your own pace

Do these things and your future self will Thank you.