What to Do When a Plan Doesn’t Work Out
There are very few things in life that are certain. We always hope for the best, but there are just times when everything doesn’t go as planned. Life is going to throw curveballs at you from time to time, and knowing how to respond and adapt to these changes is crucial both in and out of college.
These tips will help you deal with the changes in your life and come out on top. Remember, change is inevitable. But it’s up to you to figure out what kind of impact changes have on your life.
Find the Silver Lining:- One characteristic of positive people who adapt well to change is that they’re able to find the silver lining in nearly every situation. Maybe you didn’t get accepted to your dream school, but that doesn’t mean that your entire college career at another school will suck. Find the silver lining. Instead of instantly thinking about all of the negative aspects that come along with change, spin your outlook and think of it positively. You and your best friend aren’t going to the same school? Use the change as an opportunity to make new friends and keep in mind that with text messaging and social media, you’ll still be able to talk to your best friend all the time.
Look at the Big Picture:- In the grand scheme of things, how much of an impact on your life does one change have? There are definitely situations where a change will have a lifelong impact, such as the death of someone close to you. But even in those situations, you have to think about the bigger picture. Would that person want you to live miserably every day for the rest of your life? Or would they want you to celebrate the things they did while they were a live and live your life to the fullest? Think beyond just the current situation, and start thinking of things from a more holistic point of view.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help:- Change is tough. Luckily, you don’t have to go through it alone. Reach out to people that you trust, or even consider talking to a therapist of you need to. There are some people who are great at handling change and prefer to handle it all on their own. But most people will find that it’s much easier to adapt to a change when there’s someone in their corner to help them along the way.
Embrace the Change:- Going to college is a huge transition that can be overwhelming for a lot of people. If you’re going to school out of state, you’ll have to deal with separation from your family, new financial responsibilities, and being away from some of your old friends. Instead of freaking out about how the in the world you’re going to make it through the semester, embrace the change and accept it as a new part of your life.
Learn from the Situation:- Use change as an opportunity to learn something new. When you’re used to something in your life being the same for a long period of time, you’re forced to have a new perspective after things get shaken up a bit. For you to learn from a change, though, you have to go into it with an open mind. To quote Winston Churchill: “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Relax :- No matter what you’re going through, remember that it will eventually end and it’s just a part of life. Someone who has never experienced change hasn’t done anything worth doing. Being able to remain calm and avoid all the stress that comes along with change will help you get through it much better. Your “Plan A” might not always work out, but that just opens up the door for something new. Sometimes we need a little change in our lives to grow.