#MondayMotivation Plans and Course Corrections

 

“Think about taking a trip on an airplane. Before taking off, the pilot has a very clear destination in mind, which hopefully coincides with yours, and a flight plan to get there. The plane takes off at the appointed hour toward that predetermined destination. But in fact, the plane is off course at least 90 percent of the time. Weather conditions, turbulence, and other factors cause it to get off track. However, feedback is given to the pilot constantly, who then makes course corrections and keeps coming back to the exact flight plan, bringing the plane back on course. And often, the plane arrives at the destination on time. It’s amazing. Think of it. Leaving on time, arriving on time, but off course 90 percent of the time. If you can create this image of an airplane, a destination, and a flight plan in your mind, then you understand the purpose of a personal mission statement. It is the picture of where you want to end up—that is, your destination is the values you want to live your life by. Even if you are off course much or most of the time but still hang on to your sense of hope and your vision, you will eventually arrive at your destination. You will arrive at your destination and usually on time. That’s the whole point—we just get back on course.” Stephen R. Covey

For so many of us, COVID 19 derailed our flight plans. In 2020 the trips we had planned, the goals we had set, the for-sures and absolutely must-dos became well-I-guess-nots. And now, here in California, tomorrow we get to take off our masks. This is another opportunity to ask, how is this supposed to go? Is it just business as usual, because I'm not sure I know how to do that. Do we hug friends? Or do we ask, have you been vaccinated? And what if they say no? Do we hug them anyway? Do we still shake hands when introduced to someone new?

And just because we're mostly vaccinated in my neck of the woods, it's important to remember that in many parts of the world the virus still rages. What can we do to help?

Which brings me back to the flight plan. What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? What do you want your life to look like? Because in the grand scheme of things, a year of sitting at home and waiting for the world to heal can also be a time of reflection, a time to re-engage with the people we love the most (the ones inside our homes)--and with our own flight plans. A time to discover who we really are and who we want to be.