#7daypositivitychallenge - Day 1 - They Don’t Have To Be Set In Stone

The challenge is on ...

I was nominated for this challenge by @insideoutlet who posts fun and encouraging content and is a founder of @asapers (a curation project to help budding Steemians).

You can read more about the rules for this challenge at the bottom of the post, but in short, the idea is to write about something positive.

Staying positive

I tend to be pretty optimistic, so most days will find me looking up. Sometimes I even have to dial down my “Pollyanna” positivity ... for those who haven’t seen the Disney movie with Hailey Mills, her persistence in finding the silver lining in EVERY situation can be annoying ... or so I’ve been told 😉

However, there are a few things that can get me down pretty quick. I want to tackle each one over the course of this challenge.

#1 Unexpected changes to plan

So today (or until I write the next positivity post) my challenge will be to stay positive when plans change. Some of you dear readers may laugh ... you see plans as suggestions and a schedule as something fluid, meant to be washed away by the tides of change ... my husband is a bit like that. Okay, maybe a lot like that.

But for others of us, plans are a lifeline. We make plans that account for just about everything so we can stay the course when the going gets tough. For example, without a schedule, I’d end up scrolling through Steemit, losing myself in comments and endless rabbit trails ... only realizing hours later that my kids hadn’t eaten lunch and I should’ve pulled out the laundry and started two more loads by now.

A well-organized schedule helps me plan out all the things I need or want to get done in a day and systematically work my way through them.

The rub

But the difficulty comes when no matter how exact I’ve been in accounting for what needs to happen when, who needs what, and how to best choreograph each task - so that vacuuming doesn’t happen at nap time and work takes place during my most productive times - life just doesn’t go as planned.

One would think this concept gets easier as we get older. But if anything, as my responsibilities grow, so does my desire to make sure everything gets done as planned. That’s why I’m going to stay focused on being positive when plans change.

The big picture

When I step back and look at my life, I’m glad it hasn’t gone the way I planned. (Yes, I actually wrote that.) The “upsets” and unexpected changes to my agenda have brought about some of my most treasured memories. They’ve also added depth to my life that I could never have accounted for.

I’ve been blessed by the hard lessons that have matured me and the unexpected rewards of responding to situations I hadn’t planned on.

The most obvious is our daughters. If I hadn’t answered the phone call ... if we hadn’t given up our financial plans ... if we hadn’t taken the risk, gotten in the car and waited to see what would happen ... if we weren’t still willing to let go of our plans as we wait for the adoption to be finalized ... we’d never have known the amazing joy that comes from parenthood.

How do you stay positive when plans change? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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How to play this challenge...

• Write a post about something you have to be positive about today. This could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit ... Just keep it positive!

• Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated. (Mine won’t be consecutive, but I’ll try to reach 7 posts.)

• Mention three people who should do this on each day. (Since this has been going around for quite awhile, I won’t be nominating anyone but feel free to reference this post if it inspired you to write your own!)

• Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post. (Tip: You need to put the # in front of 7daypositivitychallenge or it will not let you use the tag.)

• Include a picture of something positive - related to your story if possible.

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