The power of flexibility

We’ve talked before about the value of having a plan but having acknowledged that even the best laid plans can evaporate sometimes, let’s explore the value of flexibility and how it can help ensure your plans don’t go completely haywire.

This post came about as a result of waking up to snow. The children and I spent the last few days of half term up at my parents house. If anywhere around here is going to have snow, you can guarantee their place will. True to form, as we ventured down the ‘mountain’ we did so to find everywhere else had green hills. Not a fleck of snow to be found.

Ordinarily, the snow wouldn’t be a problem, it would be a source of fun! However this particular day we were caught unawares and had no wellies or gloves. Digits would have become cold and wet Fortunately for us, the snow soon thawed and our plans weren’t disrupted too much.

Adapt

However, it was prior to the thaw that I was forced to consider alternate arrangements for the day. And there in lies the power of flexibility. Planning is great but it’s important to be able to adapt when the need arises. However, in order to be able adapt, there has to be a plan in place which can be adapted or tweaked. Talk about a conundrum

Calm

It’s been said that some of the greatest leaders of our time are those who were able to remain calm in a crisis. If times of trouble need calm then we certainly need the same skill when faced with tweaking our plans. My favourite quote however comes from Michael Caine,

“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”

And this leads us on to another vital attribute when forced to be flexible.

Confident

Did you hear the story about the man who whilst competing in a quiz show, answered his questions which such confidence and conviction, he managed to persuade the quiz master that his answer was correct when he had in fact been wrong?

“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” – David Brinkley

We’ve all met people who just seem to ooze confidence. It doesn’t seem to matter what happens, they always come out of situations looking fabulous. We might not be the next Mr or Ms Fantastic, but it is possible for even mere mortals like us to hold our own and remain confident when forced to be flexible. How to be confident is a whole blog post all of its own but in the mean time, take a deep breath, try to relax and remember what Lisa Edmondson said:

“He who is humble is confident and wise. He who brags is insecure and lacking.”