How to make things turn out as expected

How to make things turn out as expected

Things don’t always go as planned. You have to know how to adapt to the unexpected.

Instead of asking “how can I make everything work out the way I want it to?”, perhaps the better question would be “how should I react when plans go wrong?”. Because things actually rarely work out as planned.

And since life is change, so must we. So it’s not about planning better, but learning to adapt to life’s unexpected changes and setbacks, which can throw your expectations into disarray.

To that end, it’s worth remembering the words of Darwin: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change”.

So, instead of complaining because things don’t work out the way you expect them to, keep in mind that you can always choose how you deal with a situation.

Tips for adapting better to the unexpected

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  1. Acceptance. Accept that what you thought was going to happen is no more.
  2. Resilience. Adapt as best you can to the new situation: think about how to make the best of it.
  3. Patience. Get comfortable with change: life is all about it, so calmly expect it.
  4. Complain… but not for long. If you get frustrated, stop, take a break and then get back to it. Try to keep complaints short-lived
  5. Question yourself. Ask yourself: if everything went as expected, would it be for the best?
  6. Learn. What can you learn from the situation?

Life has its good times and its bad times, but it is up to you to face them with a positive or a negative attitude, even when your dreams have been dashed. The choice is yours.

Plus, the real source of happiness isn’t having everything go your way, but having an open and flexible mindset that makes it possible to peacefully face whatever comes your way.

Sources:

Ser feliz en Alaska. Rafa Santandreu. Psychologist. Ed Grijalbo, 2016.

When You Expect Nothing Everything Comes to You. Life is Amazing. Unmistake creative.

5 Ways To Stay Calm When Things Don’t Go As Planned. Avery Blank. Feb 8, 2022. Forbes.

This post is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)