The step after trips us up. The step after what? Everything, which is the problem. We struggle with any move outside of the plan. The step after an accomplished goal, a setback, or sudden change can all cause a struggle. Yes, anything unplanned troubles us. Imagine the plight of those of us that choose to “go with the flow” and live without plans. Life can get pretty grueling, and we tend to make it harder. The step after is what we do when our vision ceases. What do we do after accomplishing a goal? How do we handle plans going awry? What do we do when the life we are comfortable with suddenly requires change?
The step after an accomplishment is the most overlooked piece of every plan. We set up what we think is the perfect goal and scheme. The goals can be graduating college, obtaining a sum of money, finally getting into investing, or starting a business. These are all excellent parts of a journey, but it is a mistake to make these goals. These are checkpoints. They should be there to guide us to goals. All aforementioned “goals” will leave a person who obtains them in a lost state. It is because they are not destinations. Goals are destinations. We never feel lost at a destination. Setting a better goal is a way to avoid having issues with “the step after.”
We may also give ourselves too much credit when it comes to planning. Most plans are happy paths meaning they don’t account for anything negative. This approach is unrealistic. In addition, following “happy path” plans may give us a false sense of security. As we progress through our plan, we’ll possess immense confidence until we run into something that is not in the plan. When this occurs, we lose all conviction and become stuck. Why? The perfect plan was what gave us confidence, and the plan has been proved imperfect. We are stuck because the plan didn’t account for issues. When creating plans for goals, the consideration of problems should be part of the plan. No, we don’t need to predict every controversy we will encounter. Acknowledging there will be issues along the way is the mindset we need to approach a journey. This method will remove the false confidence and lost feeling we get upon encountering a setback. We may not hit the nail on the head with the actual problem, but we will be prepared to handle the hurdle and promptly get back on course. Creating better plans is another way to avoid issues with “the step after.”
What do we do when our life is going just as we would like, yet mandatory change rears its ugly head? We got a little too comfortable. There is constant change in life. We will hit patches where we are good with things staying that way forever, but nothing is forever. When we accomplish goals, there is naturally a period of calm. It is supposed to be a period. We attempt to hold on permanently. Eventually, life comes to take it. “It” can be a job, relationship, or possession. “It” can be youth. Whatever “it” is, it is the reason we have trouble with change. We are losing something we would rather not. It can be stated generally as comfort. For us to get the most out of this piece, we’ll need to get specific in the privacy of our minds. What was “it” the time(s) you felt this way? Has life revealed to you that “it” was not meant to be kept? If not, it will. If you don’t want to wait, take a little me time and study the situation. How would you have gotten to your current destination without the mandatory change? We must learn to adapt to change. Becoming adaptable will avoid having issues with “the step after.”
In closing, the step after does not need to give us the hell it currently does. We must approach selecting our goal and the plan that goes with it better than we have. Flawed goals will cause us to become lost upon accomplishing them. A defective plan will have us in a mindset that isn’t prepared to handle all that will or can come our way. Fighting change can cause us to never get to the destination we are attempting to reach. Remember this the next time you find yourself sitting and planning to embark on a goal. “The step after” should always be part of the plan.
Food for thought. You do the dishes!
