If things don’t go as planned…

 

Almost two hundred people I know had their flights cancelled or postponed, due to the war. I saw in their faces that mixture of powerlessness and silent anxiety.

I was in India recently, and those scenes stayed with me. They left me with a question that feels more relevant than ever: How do you plan your life in a world that refuses to be predictable?

Because let’s be honest… we love plans (at least, I love them). They give us a sense of control, direction, even identity. But life, every now and then, reminds us - gently or abruptly - that control is often an illusion.

My reflection is about what to do when things become unclear.

Our first instinct is usually to do more things: think more, calculate more, try to fix things faster. We check our resources - time, money, skills – and we try to increase them, save them.

Of course, all of this is important, but what I saw there was that it is simply not enough. There were people who were glued to an app, trying to find a way out, or those who could buy a new ticket just like that; still, there was no response, no ticket…

Situation sometimes are bigger than our tools and resources, our capacity. It results into an inner pressure, so we try and force solutions, pushing our way through.

There is however, one thing that was useful. In many faces, I saw plenty of smiles and calm, a fresh sensation that said things will be OK. That is the one possibility I saw that was the most successful: resilience.

It is an inner strength and quietly steps in, not as a dramatic force, but as a deeper power. It helps us adapt and, instead of denying the horrible reality, we learn from it and move on.

So, how do we plan when certainty is not available? I don’t think the answer is to stop planning… but let’s plan differently:

• Avoid rigid expectations. Plans are useful, but expectations can turn into traps. Hold things with openness.
• Plan for the best, prepare for the worst. Not from fear, but from maturity. It creates inner stability.
• Think beyond “Plan B”. Sometimes even alternatives fail. Go further - visualize yourself after the situation. How do you want to feel when this is over?
• Stay calm, wherever you are. Calmness is not a luxury; it is a tool to be used in these cases.
• Look for help… in the right place. Not all advice is helpful and not all voices bring clarity. Choose wisely.
• Accept what you cannot control. Not as resignation, but from resilience. Save energy and use that strength in dealing with this reality.
• Stay focused. When the outside is shaking, the inside must be steady. That’s where a real direction comes from, a possible solution.