Welcome to the twenty-fourth blog post in the series “Monthly Mindset Shift”! As the name indicates, this series has one new post per month and will continue for the next several months. Each post in the series details a positive mindset shift we can make surrounding a feeling or experience that generally has a negative connotation. (Spoiler alert: For this post, that experience is not having things go according to plan!) These shifts aren’t designed to erase all of our difficult/unwanted emotions around the topic at hand. Rather, they simply serve to improve our general outlook on the matter, which can, in turn, improve our actions and our outcomes. They’re all the more proof that a healthier, more constructive mindset can change the game!
Life loves to throw us curveballs. You’ve probably heard some variation of the expression, “We make plans; God laughs.” Whatever higher power you may believe in, the general spirit of that quote likely rings true for you on some level. While it’s great to have a plan, and it’s gratifying to execute that plan successfully, sometimes it’s just not in the cards for us. That’s not because we’re doing anything wrong. It’s just because there are bigger, better-aligned plans for us that we can’t imagine yet. We had to plan and have our plans fail in order to reach success that was custom-made for us.
As we wait for that custom-made success to unfold, though, there’s another change in perspective that might help us make peace with our failed plans. This one is a little more lighthearted…
The mindset shift…
…Maybe things happened the way they did for the plot! If things didn’t go according to your plan, maybe it’s partially because your life story was meant to be made that much more interesting, entertaining, unique, etc.
In recent years, we’ve seen “did it for the plot” quite a bit on social media. This quote is usually in reference to someone making a bold move that they know could backfire, but they go for it anyway, because at the very least, it’ll make their life story’s plot better. But even if you did something with the full intent of it turning out well, and it didn’t, this mindset shift might just help you out. You didn’t get your desired outcome, but at least you got…
•A funny/crazy story
•A teachable moment
•Something to add to your identity capital (wink wink How to Increase Your Identity Capital)
•Maybe all of the above?
Of course, in all seriousness, you also made way for much better plans for yourself to unfold. That’s something to get so excited about! In the interim, though, sometimes the best way to feel better about a situation is to make light of it. Pretend that you’re watching your life as if it were a TV show. What just unfolded was a pretty unexpected plot point that had you on the edge of your seat. Somehow, though, you know that the writers are going to whip up a satisfying resolution to that problem. So, you’re able to just enjoy it for the temporary mess that it is. Doesn’t that take away some of the pressure and heaviness involved?
The bottom line…
Ultimately, you didn’t do it for the plot, but it ended up making one hell of a plot point anyway. That’s okay, because you can still extract value from what it turned out to be. Whether a good laugh, a lesson that needed to be learned, a jaw-dropper, or a mix of these, may it serve a purpose regardless. Before you know it, the plot will work in your favor in ways you never dreamed possible!
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