Allow the unpredictable

Today I want to talk to you about the idea of adaptability – and apply this idea when it comes to moving toward our goals.

Humans are incredibly adaptable. From the simplest biological adaptations that happen when we move into different temperature environments or different altitudes, to the neurological adjustments that happen when we learn a new task – we are highly adaptable.

The idea of evolution depends on adaptability – and this should be recognized more when it comes to moving toward our goals and undergoing our individual life evolution. Specifically for this application, adaptability shows up in how we handle the UNPREDICTABLE.

Many people I know get hung up on the path to reaching their goals because they are set in their plan of progression of steps. What I want to remind you about today is that reaching your goals does not come from a focus on the how. It does come from a focus on where are you going, not how you are going to get there.

When the things that we might not predict come along, we must instead see this as asking us to adapt in a way that’s going to get us closer to our goals. I’ve found that when I finally reach a goal that’s been difficult, the path to me getting there was actually quite different than I expected, predicted, or planned. But I ended up where I wanted to be because I responded to the situations as they arose.

When something unpredictable comes along, we can tend to get stressed or controlling about it. This actually prevents us from going with it, adjusting, and allowing it to take us toward our goal in a way we hadn’t planned but can benefit from.

To help you use unpredictable situations to your advantage, I have three questions to give you. If you ask yourself these questions when something unpredictable arises, you will be able to allow it to help you in your progression toward your goals.

Question #1: How do I feel about this? Being able to process your emotions is essential in your ability to move on from something. If you don’t deal with how it makes you feel, then you will tend to get stuck there. If that happens, you’re not going to actually be able to utilize the situation for growth and for progress.

Question #2: What has really changed? Many times I find that people blow out of proportion what the unpredictable thing really causes them to change. If someone is following a plan to devote 30 minutes to a task and something unpredictable comes up, they may turn it into an all-or-nothing thing when they could choose a small adaptation instead. Perhaps they could just move that 30-minute activity to a different time, or they can even shorten it to 10 or 15 minutes to stay on track. This question is asking you to think about how you can maintain your intention and keep your end goal in mind while responding to this particular situation.

Question #3: How can I live my intention and values within these circumstances? Even if things have to change in a bigger way because of the unpredictable situation, you want to remember the core of your goal. The core of physics theorizes that our world is organized around a vibration. When it comes to our individual lives, that vibration is created through intention. If you tap into that intention, if you stay true to your values and what that end goal signifies to you, then you are bound to move closer to it, regardless if your steps need to change. When you are tapped into intention, your mind can access more of the ideas that are aligned with where you want to go.

I hope you will use these questions when you are encountering the unpredictable. Doing this will allow you to use the advantage of adaptability on the path to your goals!