Planning or Preparation? Which Works Better?

Change – it pushed me in directions I did not want to go. The diagnosis of my daughter’s disability, divorce, and my sister’s death took me down the dark and scary alley of life. Indeed, you’ve found yourself in your dark alleys.
In the darkness, I developed good skills perfect for unpredictable situations. Searching for anything to scare away my fear, I found that I can be flexible and adaptable. Cultivating this ability prepared me for the unexpected and set into motion a new direction for my life.
I am a change expert because of all I have been through. So here are valuable power strategies I want to share with you.

<strong>Know the Difference between Planning and Preparing.</strong>

Searching for answers in the darkness, I found myself in a blind alley—seemingly without options.

What could I do in this immediate situation? The urgency of the unanswered moment forced me to see resources I didn’t see before. I learned to focus on ability than disability… and mine.

Being prepared is more about being creative than having a plan. Planning assumes it will go as you thought it would rather than it does. Linking unrelated resources towards a clear goal is where our creative inventiveness emerges.

Unless your creativity leads you to have multiple plans, which, in reality, are being prepared, Plan A can be replaced by Plan B. If that fails, you have Plan C or D.  The key is to have options.

Preparedness allows for quick thinking. Immediately, we can engage the energy of the moment to focus clearly on a desired outcome. Questions like, “What do I need?” “Who do I need?” “What resources can help me right now? Whatever comes up, you have what you need.

Where do Flexibility and Adaptability Come From?

Fear makes us rigid, often paralyzing us. Fear can cripple more than any disability.

One night as I held my infant daughter tenderly sleeping in my arms, fear gripped me as I wondered if I had what it would take to give Mikelle what she needed to live a rich and meaningful life despite her physical limitations. I didn’t know what to do. How would I care for her, my son, and my marriage? How would I care for myself?

Fear loosens its grip as we let go and learn to trust. In trust, we become flexible and begin to adapt.

These things don’t come naturally. Our instincts tell us—to hold on. Our minds deny what is real—learning how takes practice. It can be done. Change’s most challenging part is letting go of the expected moment and embracing the unexpected opportunity.

Let go. Become flexible. Stretch. Loosen up. Move. Unleash your ability to respond—be responsAble for setting off on your new journey.

Surprisingly, your new life can be more satisfying than your old one.

The challenge helps us stare down the meaning of life to see its value.

At first, when I am thrown into the craziness of life, I tend to focus on survival. But then, I notice a presence about me; I feel the calmness of choice and certainty. In the stillness of the uncertain moment, I find my strength and the community’s support.

When Mikelle arrived from Korea, my expectations of a little toddler running around the house chasing her big brother changed instantly. What did happen is she chased him in her wheelchair. They adapted and came up with their version of the tag.

The change took me to places I didn’t think I wanted to go—and I love the place I am in.