“Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” – Forest Gump
There are many plans life lessons one can take away from Forrest Gump; perseverance, doing what you love regardless of others’ opinions, and expect the unexpected. If you’re anything like me, when you read the quote about chocolates you likely thought, ‘well, there is a map at the top of the box that tells you which chocolate is where and what’s inside….”. Shout out to all the planners out there! However, we all know that life does not go according to plan (A, B, C or even D). Some things are just not in your control.
Through career changes, babies, family members passing, and everything in between I have come to accept that my plans are not bullet proof. These are some questions I always ask myself when I start to feel like things are not going according to my “plan”:
- What’s the worst that can happen? This not only helps me remember that I am constantly dealing with change and many of them are for the better. It also helps put things into perspective that if/when a change does occur it’s going to all be okay!
- What can I control and what is out of my control? I like to move to action quickly, so if there are things I can do, I do them. If there are things out of my control, I am continuing to learn to accept it. It’s not always easy, but sometimes the best plan is knowing the plan will change.
- Celebrate the positives! Find a silver lining with any change and focus on those items instead of the negatives. It can really help re-frame your mind.
For the planners of the world, change doesn’t come easily. Try to remember- things that are worth it are usually hard and take effort. Sometimes, just being prepared for a change is the best plan and smiling through it. For those of can rock through life without any plans, you go girl! It takes all kinds of kinds to make the world go ‘round.
