Adapt

Writing distraction free... this will be an interesting experiment.
I don't remember the last time I sat down and wrote for the sake of it, but here goes nothing.
Last night for the first time in... well, maybe ever, I wrote out my goals for the today. Just so you know how things have gone thus far, this was not on my list of goals.
I spent a few minutes writing out to the minute goals for the entire morning, only to get derailed by the realization that our van needs to be taken in to get repaired this morning months after an accident we had. We've been putting off this repair for a long time because of the inconvenience, and now here we are.
Immediately, I had to cross off hours on my list of goals for the day. And isn't that how it works sometimes? Life is unpredictable and far from perfect and we have to sway the way it takes us sometimes. The only thing we can control is how these unpredictable moments affect us. We must adjust. Adapt. Switch course.
And then, upon waking up after resolving last night to wake at 4:30 am with a host of stretches and exercises to complete before 6:45 am, I was awoken to the sound of crying... and I felt surprisingly awake, only to see that it was 6:00 and my alarm hadn't been set properly.  Also, the pain in my foot is getting progressively worse, so I took it as a sign that my body probably needs more rest than I've been giving.
If I did leave for the gym at 5:15 as originally planned, I wouldn't have been there for my sad 2 year old, my husband would have had broken sleep before work, and our garbage and recycling would have still been sitting in the kitchen because we forgot to communicate last night who was going to be taking it out. I adapted and looked at all the reasons why it was good that my plans changed and didn't work out.
I follow a lot of Olympic runners on Instagram.  If you think the life of an Olympic runner is predictable and regimented, you're right on certain accounts. Their days are regimented and laid out clearly by a coach, but even the slightest injury can completely derail... well, their whole life's work and plans.
But, most, if not all of these injuries are met with resilience and the attitude of a champion. How can we solve this problem quickly? What other steps can I be doing to work toward my goals during this time? Patience and perseverance. We can learn a lot from Olympians and I often wonder why most people aren't more interested in them: the ultimate human beings. I for one, take lessons from their attitudes and their determination daily. They inspire me in so many ways.
I've been doing a lot of running myself.  Any time I run, I visualize clips of Olympians running. But, it's not because of how great they look when they run. When I think of Olympians running, I think of what's going on inside their heads. Their strong will and positive mantras to get them through the really hard workouts, knowing that after each session, they will be one step closer to their dreams. How could that not inspire?
But, I'm losing focus on the point of this post: dealing with the curve balls. It's not that it's good to have no expectations. It's important to have goals and expectations and preparation. But, we must always remember that life isn't controlled by us. Remembering that will help get through the bumpy and unforeseen patches.
When an Olympic runner is injured, they spend a lot of time in the water. Even if they hate water. Even if they've never set foot in a pool. They learn. They adapt. They heal. Just as we must learn, adapt and heal.
It's important to get in the water.