How to Deal with Unexpected Pitfalls

We've all been there: you make a well-laid-out plan, set yourself up for success. You've done your homework ahead of time and your tools are prepared and laid to the side, ready to jump to your fingertips for use. You look up, expecting the stars to align and glory to rain down...

...and you drop or lose one of your tools. Maybe your cat stole one, or the website that hosted one has suddenly gone away. Your computer suddenly crashes at the (not so) perfect time.

Now what?

It's easy to say that allowing these types of things to derail your plan is just allowing excuses to run your life, but the fact remains that SHIT HAPPENS that can slow or completely stop your plans. They're the unexpected pitfalls that makes perfect plans crumple into a sobbing heap of uselessness.

This picture says it all. There are two things to keep in mind when something unexpected happens: Keep Calm and Never Give Up.

Keep Calm

You've heard the advice about swimming: Keep calm, don't panic, and you can get to the surface. The same works for any plan. As soon as you panic, things go from bad to worse. Nearly everyone experiences that initial panic once it's sunk in that something has gone wrong. Immediately, a snowball effect to doom parades across your mind. The world (or at least your dream) is coming to an end. KICK THAT PANIC OUT! All it's going to do is hold you back. Take a deep breath (let the breath out...no sense blacking out), close your eyes a moment, then open them with new purpose. Confront the problem head-on and...

Never Give Up

Some problems are small, like the wiki website you have your information set up on deciding to close down or change policies, while others are larger. However small or large the set-back, that's exactly what it is: a set-back, an obstacle, a pit in front of you. It's a challenge. Don't give up! Every goal and dream that's worth-while has them and makes achieving the end that much better!

Unfortunately, each has the potential of becoming "insurmountable" or "impossible" for some. Those people give up. They write off their goals and dreams as simply that: the pie in the sky fantasy that was never meant for them.

Do you want to be your own success story or continue on as normal?

What to do:

You have your goal, and the plan to your goal. Do you throw it out and start over? NO! Here's what you do:

1. Reexamine - You had a good plan before, and you still do. It just doesn't accurately reflect current situations and tools. What portions have to change?
2. Replace/Add - Replace the parts that no longer represent the situation and tools. If the problem is large, you might need to add to your plan to recover.
3. Refocus - Focus yourself again on the goal at hand. Don't stay focused on the problem. You've fixed your plan to account for it and now it's time to move forward again.

Now get out there and overcome those challenges! :)

A new start

Each new year is a possible new start. Here's the thing, though. A new year starts every day! A "year" is any stretch of time that goes for 365 days. My new start began earlier this summer with my decision that this fall was going to be the major release of a big change for me, in many ways.

Part of the change is really outside my direct control. All I have to do is sit back and let it happen. I get back home from this prolonged work trip and will suddenly find myself back into a little-to-no income living situation. This is pretty much the entire situation. I have two choices: go with the flow and let it happen, return to life as normal with my hubby, kids, and pets...living day-to-day and being thankful for the blessings that come my way; OR I can take the opportunity of a time already full of change to put in the extra effort to do what I want and need to do to make my family's life that much better.

So, this fall I'm going to start my freelance writing business...finally! And I want to use this blog to document what I do so I can look back and laugh at my mistakes, celebrate my accomplishments, and share with everyone the steps I'm taking to improve my life, opportunities, and follow my passion that I have kept buried for so long.

So far, what I have done that just hasn't worked for me:

• Research, research, research - I've always been an active seeker of information that might increase the amount of knowledge I have about various interests I have. While this has helped me gain knowledge, it hasn't helped to take the steps towards doing anything.
• School/studying - Along with the individual research I've done, I've been a college student. I got my bachelor's and reached for a master's, but felt empty (other than achieving my goal of getting my degree). Here's the problem with it: I've been searching for someone to hand-hold me through the process, and came up empty because everyone's path is as different as their needs, personalities, and motivations are.
• Working - Yes, money makes the world go 'round, and I've worked my butt off trying to get more. But the older I get, the more I realize that to REALLY get more money, you have to either be A) REALLY good at what you do, B) passionate about what you do, or C) both! Well, I was good at what I did, but not REALLY good, and I certainly wasn't passionate about it.
• Played around - I said I had a passion for writing, and the fact that I've always remained connected to it in some way has shown that. Whether it's been sitting through some creative writing classes while getting my bachelor's or volunteering as a forum leader on my favorite writing forum, I've always had writing SOMEWHERE in my life. Time to make it more prominent.

What I've learned from these: Research gives you information, but won't help you act...it's a "good" excuse to not act. School is glorified research--no matter how much you want a mentor, you'll have to eventually decide for yourself what you need and want and reach for it. Working is a good stop-gap, and allows you to live, but if you aren't passionate and/or really good at your job, it's dead-end. Playing around with what you ARE passionate about, despite (or even because of) rough times in your life, shows that no matter what is going on, you still gravitate towards that one thing...so make money from it!

SO! Here's what I'm doing, and my goals for this year (it doesn't have to be New Year's to make my year-end goals, right?):

1. Start my freelance business right (and figure out what that means)
2. Get a good portfolio together
3. Keep working at my business through all the major changes of the year
4. Put together a good website
5. Make a name for myself
6. Finish the year making at least the same amount of money as last year (in my case, less than $18K)

WISH ME LUCK!