Plans Change, So Plan To Change

I used to obsess about everything going according to plan, but it sounds pretty boring to me now. I know there are times when we need the plan to work - or maybe that’s not true either. Maybe, it’s just the fear that comes from attaching to a pre-determined outcome.

What if everything did go according to plan? 

Would you grow? 

What about adventure? 

What about expansion of your own self-concept? 

A lot of history would be different if things had always gone according to plan. I know my history would be different! 

As recently as a few weeks ago, I had a plan….

During a brief solo retreat, I headed out on the Katy Trail for what I had originally planned as a moderately challenging bike ride. I knew before I arrived that my vision was no match for the forces of nature that day. Given the circumstances I’d have to ride in--grey, damp and cold weather with a steady wind gusting up to 23 miles per hour--I considered skipping the ride to relax in my warm b and b. 

This ride was important to me. I opted to ride, which was a shock even for myself, but I knew I wasn’t ready to give up without even trying. I’ve got to be honest, I really had no idea what I would and could tolerate, but I wanted to find out. 

There’s a place deep in my soul that craves a challenge - to know I can be uncomfortable, persevere, and find I am stronger on the other side. What I learned was that this wasn’t about the perfect plan - it was about showing up for myself. It wasn’t the plan that needed to change - it was my expectations. When plans change the door opens to challenge our expectations.

Every muscle in my body ached with protest. But my soul felt settled in the gratitude that I had completed the challenge. It was certainly not the adventure I had planned - but isn’t that the definition of adventure?

Plans are really just a framework to help us get started. To guide actions and give traction for the potential to pivot. Sometimes, the plan is the very thing that holds us back from growth - from experiencing our own resiliency - because plans can fail and failure is scary. What would happen if you stopped asking what if I fail and start asking what can I learn?