This tip is about planning for things to go wrong.
Planning for things to go wrong will help us design some preventive and some recovery actions so we don't just give up.
Many of us approach new experiences with an all-or-nothing mindset. Either we do every step just right or that's it – it's over. It doesn't make sense. It's new. You're not supposed to be good at it yet. What if instead we could just try it out see how it goes?
Think about what's likely to get in your way. What's gotten in your way in the past? How can you plan to avoid those things?
Think about your successes. What about your approach has worked for you in the past? How can you use that again now?
Do you need any resources or tools? How will you get them?
What support do you need? Do you need an accountability partner, a cheerleader, a professional?
You have just dramatically improved your plan and things will still get in your way. That's life. Something unexpected comes up. Something takes longer or has more steps. You get in your own head – change is scary!
Maybe you even make… a mistake.
Humans are wired to focus on our mistakes. We replay our actions in our mind until we're certain we know exactly what we should have done differently. But unless you're cheating in a choose your own adventure book you have no way of knowing that.
The secret is your mistake doesn't matter. What you choose to do about it, how you choose to let it affect you, that's what matters.
You can't undo it. You can only choose what you want to do next. Do you want to give up? Or do you want to take a break from beating yourself up and see what you can learn?
What about your plan, about your support, about all of it needs to be adjusted? Remember why that goal was important in the first place. Is it still resonating with you?
Pause you action plan and look at what you've learned. What actions can you take as a result of that? I have a whole series of tips about time management.
Maybe all of this makes sense, but you’re still stuck. That doesn't mean anything's wrong with you, but maybe it is time for your free coaching consult.
If this message resonated with you and you'd like to see more from me, please like, comment, share, and follow. Better yet, send me a private message to let me know or share a topic you’d like some quick tips on. I’d love to hear from you!
Comments