"But, I made a plan!?" How to let go of what you expected to make room for progress
Sometimes the plan changes. Sometimes that’s within our control, and our choice. Sometimes it’s a change imposed on us from the business we work in, or our family or something unexpected that has happened.
Whatever the reason, we humans have an interesting way of dealing with this change. Quite often we have a willingness to adapt to changing needs, but our instinctual emotional response makes us feel like we’ve wasted our time, or we’ve failed with our original plan. We say things like ‘but I committed to this and I’ve put energy and time into it, if I change it’s all been a waste’ or ‘but I wrote this out in a detailed spreadsheet plan, so I should stick to the plan because otherwise I’m failing’.
As someone who’s historically viewed myself as being really bad at sticking to things, I used to see a need to change my plan as proof that I’m unable to see things through. And so I’d resist it, because the logic followed that continuing as I’d planned was me being consistent and committed like a person should be. But all that created was an inflexibility and unwillingness to adapt to the reality of the situation, sticking to things that didn’t work for me because I felt like I should, or feeling like I had failed if I accepted things needed to change.
So, if you find yourself resisting the need to adapt to a change in your plan (whether it’s one you’ve decided on or one imposed on you by someone else), here are some questions for you to reflect on...
Why is the plan changing?
Am I changing the plan because I’m avoiding something I’m scared of doing? (if this is the only reason, then don’t change it)
What will I gain by letting go of the old plan and starting a new one?
What will I lose by continuing to hold onto the old plan?
What have I learned from my previous plan, that has helped me in forming the new one?
What will it look like in two months if I embrace the new plan?
To get you thinking, I've written my answers to these questions below...
Context:
I recently decided to ‘re-brand’ Closet Perfectionist more in line with how it’s evolving (more to follow over the next month!)
The plan before for October and November...
Post a blog every week on specific topics that I had mapped out, leading to...
Release a freebie resource
Engage with Instagram for 15 minutes every day (the slog of organic growth! Say no to the bots!)
Post on Instagram 3x a week
Write blog content ahead of time so I could still post when I’m on holiday for 2 weeks
The plan now
Prioritise new look and mission. What am I trying to achieve, how do I portray that? How do I represent it visually on Instagram? Change my name.
Create and launch new website
Learn about engagement on Instagram
Blog only if I have a particular idea or inspiration
Don’t do anything whilst I’m on holiday unless I have any good ideas I want to write down (i.e. only do stuff because I feel like it and enjoy it!)
Reflections
For the sake of the example, I’ve kept my answers pretty snappy but you can explore yours in more detail if it’s helpful…
Why is the plan changing?
Fundamentally because I want it to! I think it’s important to change my priorities in this direction. Also I know I need a mental break hence doing nothing on holiday.
Am I changing the plan because I’m avoiding something I’m scared of doing?
Nope, if anything this is the scarier option.
What will I gain by letting go of the old plan and starting a new one?
Make progress in the direction that I want to take. Feel refreshed and ready to hit it in the New Year.
What will I lose by continuing to hold onto the old plan?
Mental energy thinking about what I ‘should’ be doing, when that’s completely irrelevant and won’t help me in anyway.
What have I learned from my previous plan, that has helped me in forming the new one?
I’ve got ideas and plans I can come back to at a later time.
The process has helped inform what I do next.
What will it look like in two months if I embrace the new plan?
A new website, a new look, a new name, and hopefully more of an engaged community!
Whether it’s at work, or something you’re planning for in your personal life, I encourage you to come back to these questions when your plan has to change. Resisting the change just leads to frustration and prevents progress, so here’s to throwing out old plans and making the way for new ones!
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