How to create new opportunities when your “perfect plan” just fell apart due to the global pandemic.

Times of massive changes and daunting uncertainty, as we’re facing them right now, are plastered with “broken dreams” or “perfect plans” that fell apart in a blink of an eye.

Whether it had been your plan to finally work or study abroad, your plan for a new business venture, that was ready to be launched, your plan for your big dream wedding that was about to take place right now, your plan to finally turn a long-distance relationship into a no-distance relationship, all stopped or postponed due to this unprecedented, global Corona-pandemic! 

Knowing that we’re all sitting in the same boat of scattered dreams & postponed plans might be a small consolation, but it’s not the solution. 

So how can we patch things together as fast as possible and create a positive perspective, despite major uncertainty and constant change in the world around us? 

Creating new opportunities in the Light of Uncertainty

#1 Mindset matters

It’s hard to create, or even see, new opportunities when we stick to the belief, that there’s only one path to happiness and success. 

The more we cling to this lack-mentality and the regrets over what “Hasn’t Been” the less we can be receptive for new ideas and opportunities, and for what “Can Be”.  Shifting our mindset away from lack and regret, and towards curiosity and possibilities is the first important step in creating new opportunities and positive perspectives.

Easier said than done, you might say. Working with our mindset, and making it our ally is nothing we’re usually focused on, or proficient in. Most of the times we don’t even pay attention to our thought patterns and ingrained beliefs.

As long as they’re supporting and empowering beliefs, no problem with that. Keep them going.

But those nasty, self-limiting, self-sabotaging, fear-driven beliefs that tend to bubble up extremely strong and lively in times of uncertainty and major changes, those are the ones we have to “tame”. The first step in doing so, is to become aware of them. What are your limiting beliefs around your “Plan A” that didn’t work out: 

• Maybe you think, it was your last chance for success, happiness and fulfilment? 
• Maybe you think, opportunities are limited in number and you exhausted your stock? 
• Maybe you think, you don’t deserve things to go “right” when everything in this world seems to go “wrong”?

Become aware about the power of your own thoughts, and the power they have over your future opportunities. After all, creating great opportunities for your life starts by creating the right beliefs about yourself. 

#2 Distillation matters

Once your mindset is on board, building real life opportunities is next. 

What’s really fascinating, it’s actually those scattered bits and pieces of your “Plan A” that are the best building blocks for new opportunities and new perspectives.

“Distilling” your Plan A into the underlying aspirations, hopes, wishes, needs and values can give you great ideas, how to reassemble them in novel ways.

Let’s say your brick and mortar business idea can’t launch because of current Corona-restrictions, so what were your underlying aspirations, values, hopes for your business? How did you want to impact your customers’ lives? What experience or feelings did you want to bring to them?

Digging deep and separating all the components of your business idea can help you to detach from your “Plan A” and discover fresh ideas, how to patch those core components together in truly novel ways and come up with Plan B, C, or D.

Practical Steps forward

So in case your “Plan A” didn’t work, here’re some practical tips how to move from A to letter B,C, or D:

• Mindset matters, check your beliefs around creating and deserving new opportunities and nurture a supporting mindset
• Distill your “Plan A” into its core components, rotate them like a kaleidoscope, and watch different ideas appear
• Connect and nurture those friends and contacts, that provide valuable input for fresh ideas, not those that dwell in the old problems and drama
• Collaborate, now is the perfect time to join forces, to join hopes, and to join motivation 
• Collect “stories of hope” and “stories of inspiration”. The world is full of wonderful Back-Up-Plan-stories which turned into stories of great success and happiness. Soon, you’ll make yours one of them!

Are you interested in my individual Life Designing & Mindset Coaching, to support you in creating new ideas and visions, and putting them into practice? Send me a message, so we can schedule a free orientation call.

Photo by Danilo Rios on Unsplash