When You're Not Where You Wanted to Be

“Setbacks and detours are part and parcel of your success story. Know that you are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment in time. And you get to choose where you go from here.”

If you read my blog last week and thought, “Gosh, I’m behind...” and then felt bad about it, don’t! As a coach, part of my job is holding my clients accountable for their action items. I also encourage, support, and help them refocus as needed. 

I pray you’re not experiencing a sense of frustration or disappointment if you aren’t where you envisioned yourself to be at this point in the year. But I do hope you’re motivated to fire up the engine and get back on track! Remember, hitting a roadblock or taking the scenic route isn’t failure – unless you give up. 

Ahead, you have an excellent opportunity for growth, transformation, and immense satisfaction as long as you re-evaluate your plan and hop to it. We touched on some strategies last week, but now let’s take a closer look and add a few to our list.

Evaluate Goals: First, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on the goals you set previously. Do they still line up with your passions, values, and aspirations? Your priorities may have shifted over the past few months (life has a way of shaping us!). And there may be a disconnect between where you are and where you want to be. Reassessing your goals is an opportunity to tweak, refine, realign, and set new milestones or finish lines that make sense under the current circumstances. 

Pivot the Plan: Achieving our goals can often require a change in direction. If going right isn't producing the desired results, consider pivoting to the left. By trying a different approach or exploring alternative opportunities, you may be able to jump-start change and forge a path that works better for you. Adapting your strategy – to better suit your evolving needs and circumstances – is a show of strength, confidence, and savvy. 

Set New Stones: By reworking your action plan with fresh objectives, you can identify new steps that move you forward. Try breaking former milestones down into smaller, more easily achievable tasks and apply firm timelines to get them done. The more specific you can be about this roadmap, the easier – and more gratifying – it will be as you tackle those steps one by one. Empower yourself by being proactive! 

Elect to Connect: One secret weapon of highly successful people – networking. It’s a powerful tool for personal and professional growth and getting things done. You likely have a mentor, colleague, friend, or acquaintance who has traveled a road similar to the one you are going down. Take time to connect with them and be curious. How did they do it? What did they learn? What would they have done differently? And even, was it worth it? Experience yields valuable insight, so keep building and expanding your network to support you in meeting your goals.

Change of Scenery: Where you work matters. Your physical environment can be beneficial or detrimental, so it's worth looking around. Are you physically comfortable, or is it time to invest in a new desk chair? Is there clutter distracting you? And would you feel lighter if it was better organized? It’s summertime now, so perhaps you can spend a few hours working outside or bring some plants indoors for nature therapy. Also, if you work from home and miss the energy of fellow humans, you can plug in at a coffee shop or a coworking space for a bit. Try a few different spots on for size to see what fits – and what helps you thrive. 

I fully recognize that setbacks and detours are part and parcel of your success story. They were certainly part of mine! But I hope you know that, at this moment in time, you are exactly where you are meant to be. And you get to choose where you go from here. 

Be open, curious, and flexible. And you’ll soon chart a slightly altered course toward a personal victory.