There's one old Yiddish proverb made famous by Woody Allen in the version "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans" and, to me, it is clear why it has been quoted again and again over the years.
Life is unpredictable, and even if a good plan helps, being resilient, flexible, and able to deal with whatever comes our way helps as well.
Having some sense of humor is quite helpful too, just like having that famous plan.
Dealing with the unexpected is part of being human, and still, it is no excuse for having no plans, no direction in life, and no long-term ambitions.
Also, dealing with the unexpected doesn't always make the expected outcome less likely.
At the end of the day, it may be that we will have to deal with many things that weren't planned, and it is up to us to see whether it makes sense to stick to the original plan no matter what even if it will take longer to get there, or to adapt accordingly to the circumstances while keeping the end goal in mind, or to completely embrace serendipity and pivot like a pro.
Something unanticipated happened. Now what?
We can laugh and adjust, we can get angry, we can panic, we can think about new ways, we can...
So many options are available. Pick yours mindfully.
Coaching question of the day:
"How do you deal with the unexpected?"
Life is unpredictable, and even if a good plan helps, being resilient, flexible, and able to deal with whatever comes our way helps as well.
Having some sense of humor is quite helpful too, just like having that famous plan.
Dealing with the unexpected is part of being human, and still, it is no excuse for having no plans, no direction in life, and no long-term ambitions.
[The unexpected can be...
Just what you actually needed]
Also, dealing with the unexpected doesn't always make the expected outcome less likely.
At the end of the day, it may be that we will have to deal with many things that weren't planned, and it is up to us to see whether it makes sense to stick to the original plan no matter what even if it will take longer to get there, or to adapt accordingly to the circumstances while keeping the end goal in mind, or to completely embrace serendipity and pivot like a pro.
Something unanticipated happened. Now what?
We can laugh and adjust, we can get angry, we can panic, we can think about new ways, we can...
So many options are available. Pick yours mindfully.
Coaching question of the day:
"How do you deal with the unexpected?"
Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-reflection, Dealing with the unexpected, Flexibility, Adaptability, Resilience
What to read next:
Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #70. - Your action plan
Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #77. - Your weekly serendipity
Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #77. - Your weekly serendipity
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