Your Plan Didn’t Work Out: Now What?

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The fact is, everything we envision and plan for, does not always have the expected outcome. What do you do when either the plan unravels or falls short of your expectations?

First, and foremost, you don’t give up. Second, if you know your why, if you know your purpose, it is much easier to overcome those temporary setbacks. Unfortunately, you will have them. Not one of us gets out of this life without it taking an unexpected and potentially, undesirable, turn now and then. Having a strong, clear why makes decision making and altering course more bearable.

So what is your why? What is your purpose on this journey of life? Time and time again, we are shown that having a why makes the setbacks easier to cope with. When that happens, the old saying is so often true: there is more than one way to skin a cat. So, why shouldn’t there be more than one way to reach your goal, to live life on purpose?

It is not easy finding, accepting, and acting in accordance with your purpose in life, but it is important to find it. The philosopher and writer Fredrick Nietzsche said, “He who has a why to life can bear almost any how.” In other words, one way to your why may fail, but you can find another way as long as you have a belief in your why – your why is strong enough.

Not only is it important for you to have a why, you must also have faith in your ability to live your why, to live your life on purpose. Living by faith may feel difficult, but it is the building block for anything to happen in life. You must believe in your why; you must have faith that you will be able to accomplish your goals. Faith is just as important to your ability to overcome setbacks. In the Bible, there are references, applied to many different circumstances pointing to the importance of having faith.  When the father came to Jesus with his son who the father believed was possessed by demons, the response was, “ ‘If you can believe,” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23.

When life occasionally, throws that inevitable curve ball, you don’t fall apart, you grow by relying on your why. Having a purpose means have strength and having strength means having faith. Otherwise, your why will easily be destroyed and without a why, life is aimless and much more difficult. The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said “Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life is impossible.”

To cope when your plans, i. e. your why doesn’t work out there must be advance precepts:

1. You must be grounded in your why.
2. You understand that life is not linear, but has many hiccups and detours along the way.
3. You know that focus is important, because distractions and the potential for setbacks are all around all of us.
4. You understand that “…testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:3.
5. You accept change because change is growth and growth is a part of your life on purpose. Where there is no change, there is stagnation and where there is stagnation, you cannot embrace your why.
6. You focus on the opportunities that present themselves during challenges and difficulties. The opportunities may be hard to see, but that will help you keep your why alive.
7. You take action because you are clearly aware that, as it is stated in the Bible verse James 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Sometimes, it is easy to overcome the challenges to live on purpose, to embrace and continue to act on your why, but certainly not always. The point is, a purposeful life is going to make it easier to cope with whatever comes your way, when your plan doesn’t work out.

It is important to know there are others who can help you discover your purpose and help you stay focused, even during difficulties. Lean on your minister, your counselors, your life coaches, your gurus. They can be especially helpful when your plan doesn’t work out and they can help you stay focused on your why.

If you are that person who doesn’t know their purpose and would to get some help figuring that out, check out my FREE WORKSHOP, Find Your Purpose and it will lead you to my 21 Day Reinvention bootcamp: www.reinventyou21.com