So, what’s your plan B? C? D?
Posted on April 30, 2017 by Michele Brant, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Do you have a plan B? Don’t give up! Your passion may evolve over time into something even more amazing than you ever thought possible.
I started my career based on what I thought I should do. I had some good times along the way but, at the same time, there were many times that I acknowledged to myself that I didn’t belong. I kept on for over 15 years mostly because I didn’t think I had any other options.
Then, there came a time that I saw a glimmer of possibility and started exploring. I always loved fashion so I thought it was owning my own boutique. I had the chance to work at one part-time and realized pretty quickly that retail wasn’t for me. Discouraging…
After that, I thought it was being a personal trainer. Working at a YMCA providing exercise plans to clients led to boredom. My ideas of what I was meant to do were dashed again. Hmmmmm…
I knew one thing. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I attended a workshop that was led by a coach and knew almost imme¬diately that my true destiny was to be a coach. And that is what I am now doing.
What I learned was that going after your passion may take time and may look different than your original vision. For me, it took a willingness to be patient and trust the process. As each puzzle piece of my exploration came together, it became more and more clear what I was meant to do. The cool thing is that I actually bring fashion into my practice by being authentic in what I wear to be a model to others in doing the same. Also, a big part of my coaching practice involves supporting my clients with their wellness goals so; I connected the dots that lead to where I am now. I now see that each experience was necessary to get where I am.
I read a young adult book recently that my stepdaughter read as well called, Susanna Sees Stars by Mary Hogan. Susanna was going after her dream job and ended up in an embarrassing situation that she believed squashed her plans. She was sharing with her Dad in the following passage:
“Basically,” I say dejectedly, “I killed a career that hadn’t even started. So much for master plans.”
Dad looks me straight in the eye and asks, “So, what’s your Plan B?”
“Plan B?”
“Who succeeds on the first try? Look at Christopher Columbus. He was attempting to sail to Asia and he ended up discovering America.”
“Or Spence Silver,” Dad continues.
“Who?”“Spense Silver set out to create the world’s strongest glue and ended up inventing the worst glue. The only thing he could use it for was a little billion-dollar invention called Post-it notes.”
“Everybody needs a Plan B, sweetheart,” Dad says softly. “If Spence Silver, had given up when he made a mistake, what would we all stick around the front of our coumputers?”
Do you have a plan B? Don’t give up! Your passion may evolve over time into something even more amazing than you ever thought possible. That is what happened for me!
