Embracing change: This is how it really works

Your plan has failed? Learn how to deal with unexpected changes, take on challenges and get inspired by travel blogger Jacky.

Do you know the feeling when your well-thought-out plans suddenly change and vanish into thin air? And you are facing the great challenge of simply throwing your actual project overboard and forging a completely new plan?

Although numerous solutions are offered to us in advice books and via social media, it often turns out to be much more difficult to face such a change with serenity. The simple sounding tips do not work properly and inner restlessness spreads.

Get an authentic impression of why change is sometimes so challenging through this article and learn how you can face upheavals in your life.

Expectations are rising

Over the past few years, one social trend has become particularly clear: The virtual world of social media takes the natural process of change to a whole new level.

In the online world, everything changes, at any time. Almost unconsciously, you expose yourself to countless pieces of information, while you have the opportunity to network and compare yourself with hundreds and thousands of people.

All of this can raise expectations for your own life. You’re comparing your vacation to that of a professional travel blogger. You expect the same level of fitness as a personal trainer. And you hope that all your plans work out exactly as you imagined them based on numerous stories and posts.

When you can’t meet your expectations of yourself

This is exactly what happened to me on my hike through Lapland in the north of Sweden. After countless hours of research, I had carefully chosen a specific hiking route. I made a precise plan of when I wanted to arrive at which hut and how many kilometers I would travel per day. Based on this, a very specific expectation established itself and I hoped that my hike would go exactly as I imagined.

But then everything turned out quite differently. I started my hike with too much luggage on my back, while my not completely cured cold weakened my body. The extreme weather changes also caused increasing stress on my itinerary.

Pretty quickly, I had to admit to myself that my detailed plan simply could not be implemented and that I faced a completely different challenge: What is the best way to react to all the small and big changes?

From resistance to acceptance

At first I felt a certain kind of loss of control. The fact that I could not change anything about my external situation made me feel powerless. Because I could no longer live up to my expectations of the hike and of myself.

I went through different stages of resistance until I finally arrived at a feeling of acceptance. Eventually, both my hands were tied and there was no other option but to think about a solution. To focus on what I could actively do to reshape the situation.

Really Allowing Change: Your Takeaways

As I experienced on my hike through Sweden, it may also help you to break down the process of change into smaller areas.

Step 1: Allow yourself to really feel the loss of control.

Step 2: Give your body and mind enough time to get used to the new state.

Step 3: Gain acceptance by first imagining the worst-case scenario. Then you can imagine the best-case scenario. What is the optimal solution for your challenge? How do you feel when you’ve allowed the change?

Step 4: Reorient yourself and create a plan that is adapted to the changed situation.

Guest author: Jacky Werny

After California, Vancouver Island, Bali and Sweden, Jacky now embarks on a journey to himself. On her travel blog Chameleon Trips , she shares personal stories and experiences to inspire and empower others to reach their full potential. It is important to her to report as authentically as possible and to combine the three pillars of adventure, nature and community.

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