Improvise and Adapt and Still Overcome
Posted on January 31, 2012 by Mike Martel, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Things can arise along your path that make it necessary to veer off your predicted path. You need to be able to improvise, adapt, and overcome!
I talk a lot about how important it is to set goals and hold yourself accountable. I even talk about bringing in accountability partners and coaches. After all, you said that whatever your goal was it was important to you. …so you should never deviate from your plan to accomplish it. Right?
Well… just like with a regular road map, things can arise along your path that make it necessary to veer off your predicted path. On the road, you might encounter detours, bad weather, car trouble, or scenic bypasses. If you stubbornly stick to your map, you might get yourself in deep trouble or miss some amazing opportunities.
The same can be true with your path to your goal. Here’s what might arise and why you should be willing to adjust your plans accordingly:
Road blocks. As you work through your daily task list, you may come to a roadblock. You may be all set to update your autoresponder series, but the site isn’t loading or your internet access is down. Instead of sitting around twiddling your thumbs, take a look at your ongoing project list and pick another high-priority item and get cracking on it. Add the item you had to table to your next day’s list and revisit it then.
Detours. More than once I’ve been all set to add a new feature to my blog, implement a new piece of software, or add a new product to my shopping cart, only to discover that before I can do “A,” I have to finish tasks “B,” “C,” and “D.”
For example: Before I can run the new report, I have to install the software. Before I can install the software, I have to buy it. Before I can buy it, I have to go to the office supply store, and so on, and so on. In cases like these, there’s no option except to follow where the detour leads me, completing the serial tasks in order until I reach the ultimate to-do item I was trying to complete in the first place! (Side note: Detours are one of the reasons it’s important to limit yourself to no more than 6 items on your list per day. Often unplanned-for delays can throw a monkey wrench into an otherwise smooth process!)
Car trouble. Some days, nothing seems to go as planned. The kids get sick, the dog gets sick, YOU get sick. You can’t control these occurrences. All you can do is do your best to move through them quickly and get back on track as soon as possible.
Scenic bypasses.Every once in a while, you get an “I just can’t refuse” opportunity. Maybe your buddy calls with box seat tickets to the afternoon game, or your college roommate is in town for one day only. Or it’s so gorgeous outside you just have to turn off the computer and head to the pool with the kids.
Life is for living, and one of your goals should be to enjoy the trip, not just the destination. It’s okay to set aside the to-do list for these special occasions – provided they’re just that: Special. Remember life should be worth living. You should be having fun along the way. If you find yourself foregoing work for a trip to the beach more than once a month, you need to take a look at your motivation. But otherwise, enjoy. You’ll come back to your work the next day with renewed vigor.
