How to change a setback into an opportunity
I had this idea to do Valentine’s Day shirts this year, I have got the full setup to make my You Matter T-shirts for you & your kids!! Woot Woot! I am SO excited!! … So I thought hell!! I’ve got this, I’m going to make shirts for Valentine’s day as well! Me being me, I stuffed 50lbs into a 5 pound bag and things didn’t turn out. I had shirts made, a blog post written, I took pictures for the campaign with my kids, but in the end things just didn’t feel right, so I scrapped the campaign. Doesn’t really sound like a big deal right?? Except I still felt the weight of it, it felt like failure.
I’ve learned that anything that rocks my foundation, such as trying something new and having it not go as planned, can push me into an anxiety meltdown if I’m not careful.
5 THINGS TO DO WHEN LIFE DOESN’T GO AS PLANNED:
Text your close friends. the good ones, that get you, the ones that listen and understand why your setback sucks. They will give you the reassurance you need to let this go, and the perspective you need to move forward.
Try to understand what is throwing you. Take a look around, inside & outside. In my case, I realized that I was prioritizing the wrong things, rushing because I hadn’t made time and space for a valentine’s day campaign (rushing always makes me crazy), & in the process creating messes everywhere!
Take Stock. Before you respond emotionally, and decide you’re never doing this again. Try to understand what went down. In this case, the real problem wasn’t that my idea was bad, it was that I didn’t give it the proper time & space to develop & execute it. So before I convince myself that I am a failure and irrationally quit making Valentine’s day t-shirts forever, I think about can I make the time & space for this next year? Is it a campaign worthy of my time, or could my time be used in a different way? I don’t know. I’ll have to think on that! But I know for a fact that when I act willy nilly and let my creative energy decide instead of how something makes sense in my big picture, I end up feeling anxious, and wasting my time.
What are the opportunities? Well, now my time has opened up. My Give Campaign starts in 2 weeks… as I said my house & works space are complete wrecks, I can prioritize cleaning it and feel amazing when I get started. I can take the time to plan a campaign that I feel is meaningful and is worthy of you. I can think out my posts, write my blogs, & take the time that I’d like to design my pieces!! Ahh, this is sounding pretty good!
Think about what makes sense next. Make a list. Something that makes sense with your now clear priorities. Look at your schedule, and see how your new plan fits in. Get started!
And Now I am marveling at How all of a sudden frustration changes to hope and starts feeling like excitement.
I am the absolute queen of losing the big picture, I hope this helps you when you lose your way!!
XOXO,
Mandy