A change in plans is sometimes the best plan.

When things don’t turn out the way you planned, it sometimes means the plan wasn’t meant to be.

I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee, and she forgot about the meet-up, but it all worked out for the best. You see, I inadvertently chose a Starbucks with no seats, so while I was waiting for my friend, I didn’t order coffee as I normally would have and was planning to suggest another location. Just before I called my friend to check on her, a Starbucks employee came up with coffee and asked if I wanted this free cup that someone had forgotten. It was a Peppermint Mocha with half the sweetness – exactly as I would have ordered it!

I said thank you and called my friend who was very apologetic, and we decided to reschedule. This also worked out to my advantage, as I had to run errands and wasn’t sure when I would find the time. Thanks to the extra time, I chose Walmart, and before I left the store, my husband texted that our coffee grinder was kaput and could I pick up a new one. Of course, Walmart had the exact make and model that I needed.

When situations like this happen, I often reflect on how strange life can be and how the plans we make are not always going in the direction we expect. I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 14, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if cancer hadn’t cut her life short. In no universe am I glad this happened, but everything would have been different…my career, my home, my husband, even my hobbies. I have no idea what that path would have been, but I know my mom planned to leave my dad (I learned this after her death). I would have been raised by a single, loving mom rather than an angry dad. I grew up very quickly and left home at 18.

I can’t say that I succeeded alone. I had help…lots of help, support, and guidance from people outside of family that cared for me and wanted me to succeed. I may not have always made the right choices, but looking back, I wouldn’t have changed much.

I graduated from a great school (Go Blue!), started a business, left that business to join the corporate world, left corporate after 30+ years, and recently launched a business coaching firm: DunnWise Consulting. My plans – or sometimes lack of plans – created the journey that I’m on today.

While there are some things you can’t control, you can start your day, your week or your year with intention, meaning be mindful of where you want to go in the short term and long term but be prepared for and ok with plans changing. This may mean your intentions need a pause, a minor redirect, or a complete revamp. You can remain optimistic about the shift, or you can get frustrated and turn what could be minor into a complete derailment.

Remember that when pitfalls or roadblocks create a detour, those may, in some cases, take you on a road that was even better than the one you planned. That new road may present scenery you didn’t expect, people you didn’t know you needed, and experiences that will fulfill your life.

My path and plans have changed many times throughout my life. Sometimes the ones that hurt the most have led me on the amazing journey that I’m grateful for today. I am beyond excited to see where this new path leads me (and those I hope to help).