@bethvogt
Sometimes our well-thought-out plans don’t work.
Frustrating, isn’t it?
Last year wasn’t a great writing year for me. Too many disruptions meant very little creative writing.
I spent some time evaluating what I needed to ensure I had a more productive year in 2021.
- Solid blocks of time.
- Dedicated space.
- No interruptions.
Then I made my plan. It wasn’t complicated, really. I’d get up at 4 a.m., before everyone else woke up, and write until 6 a.m.
Simple, right?
My plan didn’t work.
Getting up at 4 a.m. sounds great – unless you also stay up until 10-10:30 every night, which I do.
Getting up at 4 a.m. before everyone else gets up sounds great – unless you also rouse your three dogs. And then the dogs wake up your 8-month-old granddaughter who is living in your basement apartment with your daughter and son-in-love.
So here I am, 7 weeks into this new year, dealing with a much lower word count for my work in progress than I’d hoped for by this time.
A failed plan and frustration.
It’s not as if I’ve never stared down an unsuccessful idea. It’s part of the creative process – the whole idea of allowing ourselves to toss ideas around. To consider our options. To be willing to try this, try that … and to keep trying until we discover what works. To uncover the magic. The ping.
Yes, right now what I’d planned isn’t working.
But I’m determined this year is going to be different – better – than last year. I have stories to write.
When our well-thought-out-plan doesn’t work, that’s reality – not failure.
The question is what now?
There’s always Plan B, but it might take a while to figure it out.
Maybe like me, you walked into 2021 with a plan for forward motion in your personal or professional life only to see it nosedive. Consider this a delay, not a cancelation of all your hopes and dreams for the rest of the year.
Choosing to continue is challenging because setbacks are setups for discouragement.
Quitting gets you nothing.
Imperfect progress is better than abandoning your efforts to accomplish what you’re hoping to achieve.
I’m working on my Plan B – and while I am, I’m cheering you on, too.
Choosing to Embrace Plan B https://bit.ly/37CWXaL #challenges #encouragement Share on X 'The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B.' Quote by James A Yorke https://bit.ly/37CWXaL #PlanB #success Share on X
Comments 18
I love your line that it’s not as if you’ve never stared down an unsuccessful plan. That has universal application and is so encouraging. I happen to know you also generously fit in some of your time to help others. God bless you, your writing, your household, dogs, granddaughter, the whole lovely, mostly happy, kit and kaboodle (whatever that is). Thanks, Beth.
Author
Good morning, Dee! Of course I had to look up the meaning of “kit and kaboodle — wonderful phrase, yes? “A kit – is set of objects, as in a toolkit, or what a soldier would put in his kit-bag. A caboodle (or boodle) – is an archaic term meaning group or collection, usually of people. There are several phrases similar to the whole kit and caboodle, which is first recorded in that form in 1884.” https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/kit-and-caboodle.html
And yes, whatever we’re doing in our lives, our plans always include juggling many things: family, career, vocation, friends, self-care — and these days, and ongoing pandemic and all that entails.
Sometimes Plan B gives way to Plan C.
The point? Don’t quit.
Well, Plan A’s an abject fail
(cancer’s just that way),
and rather than bemoan and rail,
I started down another way,
but whoops!, Plan B went on the rocks
(I didn’t think it through),
but I am not just one who talks,
and thereby I resolved to do
Plan C, which lasted but a week
before it languished in the weeds,
and I went for Plan D to seek,
before the knowledge of the needs
of my heart did come to call,
that I already have it all.
Oops. Hit ‘submit’ too early!
The first quatrain should be
Well, Plan A was an abject fail
(cancer’s just that way),
and rather than bemoan and rail,
I started over that same day,
Author
Andrew: The rewrite is good, too, but with or without, your wisdom is much appreciated.
Author
I absolutely love your insight, Andrew!
In the midst of our crumbling plans, we need to look around with gratitude and be thankful for what we do have!
Thank you, Beth. I needed your words of encouragement today.
Author
So thankful you were encouraged, Jane. I think many of us are realizing Plan A isn’t working for 2020. I’m choosing hope — and believing Plan B — or C or D — is going to be good!
Beth, I love your perspective. And yes, when Plan A doesn’t work out, it’s not a fail. It’s reality. It’s up to us for what we do with that reality. I am trying to figure out a Plan B for my writing too. I thought my goals would be easy to accomplish . . . but they didn’t come to pass, yet. here’s to being open to an optimistic perspective and finding a good Plan B (or even Plan C).
Author
Jeanne: Cheering you on, my friend.
And cheering everyone else on as they embrace Plan B in writing or whatever endeavor they are facing.
What about plan C or D or …???? 🙂
I still feel like I can’t find my ideal plan. Maybe there isn’t one. I do know that I have not found my groove as a writer. I keep trying different things, but nothing ever settles over me like “home”. I’m taking a course next month with a writing coach and hope it helps me discover who I am as a writer. Maybe then I can come up with some alternate plans that work. 😉
Author
Sherrinda:
I’m cheering you on, my friend, and praying for you, too. I do think it takes a while to discover our writing voice. For some of us, that voice is one genre. For others, it encompasses a variety of genres. I do believe writers often focus on a specific theme within in the books they write — Chip MacGregor said that once and I agree with him.
Oh, Beth. I’m sorry. I know this frustration TOO well. I tend toward being SUPER anal about finishing what I’m trying to accomplish, and I’ve worked hard to carve out those precious chunks of time to get focused type work done. So if something or someone (besides my own time-squandering blog-commenting when I should be working—ahem) else is to blame for the interruption, I can get deeply frustrated. And with people close to me.
One thing sweet Jesus has shown me is that Plan B is sometimes (*sometimes*) Plan Better, because only Plan B allows me to invest some precious, seemingly lost scraps of time in something with eternal value I can’t see that I would’ve missed while deep in Plan A’s trenches. Sometimes. I’m learning to be more intentional about trading in frustration for compassion and seeing the interruptions as potential golden opportunity to let Jesus use me, unfinished task and all, to invest something seemingly simple but perhaps eternally significant. Sometimes. 🙂
Much Love to you, and you have my prayers, my friend.
Author
Camille: Thank you, dear friend. Thank you. For listening. For responding. For understanding. For caring.
It means so much.
Beth your message came at a perfect time. I shared it with my critique group, and we all needed to hear this. Thank you so much!
I only have one dog, but if he hears me get up early, he’s ready for the day. I totally understand about waking up the dog(s). I believe you’ll figure out the best plan for your writing. I’m praying for you.
Author
Jackie: 🙂 I hope you and your critique group are encouraged. Onward to creativity and the forward motion!
I think I’m on Plan C or D.
Author
You know what, Denise? I’ve moved to Plan C or D since writing the blog, too. And this thought came to me this morning: Am I wasting time when I could be writing?