Got any plans for the upcoming week?
Got any plans for changing those plans?
I like to start my week of with my “Here’s what’s going to happen” list. A rundown of my appointments, my commitments, my deadlines, and my “got-to-get-them-dones.”
And then things change.
I’m learning that adjusting my plans isn’t a bad thing — and sometimes doing so is the absolute best thing.
I may look at my calendar on Sunday night and think I know exactly how the week needs to go. But then Monday happens — and it’s a snow day and my youngest daughter is home from school.
Change of plans — change of direction in my day. I can either resist it or be flexible and go with it. Enjoy the time with my daughter. Yes, I still have things to do, but hey, my daughter is home. Why not take advantage of that opportunity?
Or I may think Tuesday is all clear — a writing-without-interruption-day. And then — surprise! — copy edits show up in my inbox. Change of plans — change of direction in my day.
Change is about more than what direction I’m moving toward — although that is very important. Change is also about my attitude, which can be a true indicator of whether I’m heading in the right direction or not.
Am I tense? Stressed out? Second-guessing myself? Then odds are I’m not heading in the right direction. It’s time to stop what I’m doing and pray about where I’m heading. Decide if I keep doing what I’m doing … or do I change my actions (and my attitude) because it’s the right direction.
In Your Words: How do you decide when change is the right choice? When did making a decision to change what you were doing get you going in the right direction?
[Tweet “In Others’ Words: Change of Direction #inotherswords #lifequotes”] [Tweet “Are you heading in the right direction? #inotherswords #choices”]
Comments 5
There’s an old maxim (form von Clausewitz, I think) that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.
To me, there are two parts of change that are important…nay, vital.
1 – Being situationally aware to the needs for reactive change (drop all to plug leaks), and proactive change (taking advantage of unexpected opportunities). It’s important to be evenhanded, because, over time, both seem to occur on parity with one another.
2 – Not getting discouraged when reactive change obstructs the desired goals, or when proactive change – by nature a gamble, with oft-insufficient preparation – doesn’t pan out.
Sometimes you have to be happy with two steps forward and one step back being a net gain of one step…or with three steps back not being four, or more. It’s a choice.
When changes pop up, I’ve learned to laugh and not be surprised. The revised version is often better than the original, or fits the needs of all people involved better–or it’s fixable. In the long run I’m still going in the right forward-moving direction and little bobbles here and there don’t matter much.
I got a concerned call last night from people I’m visiting in PA and OH later this week. The weather’s worse than they’ve had in years, maybe decades. It could be hazardous, at least uncomfortable. But, no, careful prayer and thought went into this planning. We’ll move forward and see if God allows the original plan to go forward flawlessly– Or introduces some reality-check improvements. Before prayer, the phone call ended with my friend laughing deeply, something she said she hadn’t done in months because of recent real and hard losses. Her released joy was music, confirmation again that this is the right plan at the right time, and He will make it happen.
Last week I was reading in James and was reminded it’s okay to make plans, but we should do so with the knowledge our plans could change. If the Lord’s willing, then I will….
Thanks for the reminder!
I try to hold plans loosely in my hands, even those for meeting deadlines. God knows when the deadline is, and if he changes a writing day to a reach out to someone day, I believe he will redeem the time. Today is a snow day for all of North Mississippi, only it’s ice. I wonder how many plans were changed this morning? 🙂
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Nothing like a change of plans … Vertigo took me out on Monday, which kept me from replying to the comments here. I missed our conversation. But when the world goes end-over-end, well … that kind of forces me to go in a whole new direction, doesn’t it? 🙂