I read a lot of blogs. I do not comment on all of them, but I read quite a bit. One common thread I have read about, particularly with people who are dealing with tragedy, addiction, or other challenges, is their ability to be flexible and adjust to whatever comes. This is this week’s theme–flexibility.
How many times do you get blindsided by something in one or more of your projects? All the time, right? Someone drops the ball on this particular task, some order you placed for supplies is late, one of your key team members gets sick. The list goes on and on.
We had a saying in the Army. “No plan survives reality.” This is a quote that rings of truth every time I look back at any project I participated in. Nothing survives reality. So, it is important to plan. What we should take into account are risks to our plan that we need to account for and plan for. The Army called these contingency plans. When this thing happens, we will do this. When this thing happens we will do this. See?
So, when you are tackling all your projects this week, take a look at past projects and where the problems arose. You’ll likely see a pattern. Once you know the patterns of problems that tend to arise when you begin a project, you’ll be better prepared to handle them. Flexibility comes into play when something happens you did NOT plan for.
Flexibility allows you to sidestep a problem or deal with it, without it breaking you in half. There’s a story I read (author unknown) that discusses trees and how the ones that survive are the most flexible. They bend with the wind. The more rigid a tree is, the more likely it is to get snapped in half when the winds come. So take this metaphor and apply it to your life. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to survive the storms of life.
Well, that’s it for today, folks.
Have a great Monday!
Until next time…
Dave
Daily Ramblings... 