Have your plans changed unexpectedly?

When planning a big trip or vacation you might often make plans. You probably pack certain things well in advance to make sure that you bring all your important items. You would definitely fill up your gas tank in most cases if you are driving to your destination or maybe even to the airport. You might plan your route even though today's navigation systems are pretty good about getting us to the right place. You might even need to plan a time that you and your family need to get up by so that you might leave at the appropriate time. All of these might be in your planning and might be in addition to the months of planning that you may have done in picking the right spot, possibly booking and paying for a room and maybe even buying your airline tickets if where you are wanting to go is too far to drive.

So, as you can see, planning is pretty important and can take weeks or even months but what happens if on the way to your airport you run across some unexpected road construction that may keep you at a stand still for a while or maybe even take you on a detour? What if you were driving along and all of a sudden you get a flat tire and have to stop and change it and because you don't want to drive very far on a temporary you stop at a tire repair shop and get a new one put on that might take a couple of hours? You may even have to stop for an unexpected bathroom stop or two because the kids got sick in the car or maybe possibly there was an accident up ahead on the highway that slows traffic down to a stand still. All of these things, that I mentioned, are often times unexpected and unforeseen and could possibly make you late for a flight or an important meeting.

Even with these unforeseen circumstances trying to hinder your trip you can't and won't give up the fight because many times you may have paid money in advance that is non-refundable. If you don't make the flight or try and cancel your hotel room, in many case, will result in a financial penalty of some sort if not changed or canceled early enough. So, you will fight to make your destinations on time.

In life we also come across some unexpected circumstances that may keep us from a possible goal or dream. There may be an unforeseen financial situation that keeps you from starting a new business venture or maybe an illness that may slow down plans that you might have. Much like the unforeseen circumstances can slow down or hinder your plans for a trip they may also slow down or hinder your goals or dreams. The question comes up of what can be done to possibly plan or prepare for these unforeseen circumstance?

Though many things are very much uncontrollable, I have 3 points that may help you overcome the unexpected in life.

The 1st is that you have to plan for the unexpected. You have to be ready to address any unforeseen circumstance that may arise by being prepared for it already. You must be ready to combat whatever may come about. There will be detours and roadblocks that may come between you and your goal but if you are prepared to fight already then it won't be much of a deterrent. If you know, for example, that a new venture has many risks and what they are then you won't be surprised by them when they show their faces. If you know that you will have to encounter a tough opponent in a new business venture then it isn't as scary as it would be if it just popped up out of nowhere. Being prepared for the unexpected won't be easy because there are many things that could try and hinder your new dream.

The 2nd is that you have to learn how to adapt and react quickly. Often times, even when prepared, there comes about a curveball that maybe you weren't exactly ready for that takes you by surprise. It catches you off guard but you don't let it take you completely off course. You have to have the ability to possibly take a quick and short detour to stay on course or possibly slow down the pace to allow the ball to go past you and then pick up the speed again once it passes. As you learn how to adapt and react you will start being more and more prepared and less and less frightened about what may come at you next. Once you master this then your fear level will begin to diminish since you can overcome any new obstacle.

The 3rd is that you can't give up on reaching your goal or dream. When unforeseen circumstances come up they often times cause us to lose focus and desire. Once we lose those then the dream doesn't seem attainable anymore and we decide to give up. If you give up then it is very hard to start again especially if you think that you are a failure. Are we going to miss marks and goals from time to time? Absolutely we are but that doesn't mean to give up because often times those same failures become our own fuel to reach the next step or level. You have to use the obstacles as fire to fuel the desire to succeed. If you can become one that is able to not allow circumstances to keep you down then that is a success in itself.

I hope this helps someone that may be struggling to make a hard decision or one that constantly struggles with chasing goals and dreams. Realize that sometimes you might make a bad decision or fail to reach a goal but today is a new day and it's okay to make a better decision today and set a new goal for the future and stop dwelling on the past since it is now over!