The Best Laid Plans
Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash
I had a vision of how my Friday would go. Then I read an email and saw a Slack message, and my plans for a low-key day shifted.
How often does this happen to you? You do the strategy and planning work for your day or week, but then life intervenes with other plans.
The good news is that these interventions allow us to practice our resilience and adaptability.
The bad news is that we don’t get to focus on what we thought were our priorities.
Sometimes, shifting gears and adjusting feels easy. Other times, it feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back because we feel out of control.
Here are some of the strategies I have used when significant things force me to change course:
➡️ Start with three deep breaths. Seriously. This will help reset your stress response.
➡️ Understand the significance of the situation and deal with the “fire” in front of you.
➡️ Assess the impact on the priorities you had already set. Is it a simple shift or do you need to make a significant change to your plans?
➡️ Map out the plan forward.
➡️ When the stressful feeling creeps back up, leave your desk or current environment. Ideally, get a few minutes of being out in fresh air and moving your body.
➡️ Get additional support as needed.
Remembering that our leadership journey is an endurance race and not a sprint is often the reminder we need to put the situation in the proper perspective.
When things don’t go as planned, what are some of your best strategies to minimize the negative impact on your mindset?
Melissa
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