From Perfectionism to Pivoting: When Business (and Life) Throws You a Curveball
I had a completely different plan for today.
Actually, I had a completely different plan for this entire week—maybe even this whole month. But then, something unexpected happened. The kind of thing that wasn’t in my well-organized schedule, wasn’t accounted for in my mental spreadsheet of how things should go, and definitely wasn’t something I was “ready” to deal with.
And yet, here I am, dealing with it.
It got me thinking about how often entrepreneurship mirrors life in the most frustrating, humbling, and honestly annoying ways. You build the plan, you map out the steps, you double-check every possible variable—yet things still go sideways.
For a high-achieving woman who thrives on structure, preparation, and polished execution, that can feel like the biggest slap in the face. And yet, learning to handle the unexpected might just be the most important skill in business and life.
When Things Don’t Go According to Plan
I used to think that success was all about having everything buttoned up. That if I planned enough—if I covered every detail and accounted for every possibility—things would work out exactly as I envisioned.
Spoiler: that’s not how entrepreneurship works. Or life, for that matter.
No amount of planning can fully prepare you for a client backing out last minute, a launch that flops, or a major shift in your industry. Just like no amount of control can fully prepare you for the personal curveballs—unexpected health challenges, family emergencies, or even just the weight of burnout hitting you out of nowhere.
I won’t lie—my first instinct when things go wrong is still to panic, overanalyze, and try to fix it immediately. But over time, I’ve realized that trying to force things back into my perfect little plan usually makes things worse. What actually helps is learning to pivot without making it mean something about me.
How I’m (Still) Learning to Handle the Unexpected
This isn’t one of those posts where I say, “And then I mastered uncertainty, and everything has been easy ever since!” Nope. I still struggle with this. But here’s what I’m working on:
1. Letting Go of the Idea That “Perfect” Was Ever Possible
Whenever something derails my plan, I remind myself: was my original plan actually the only way this could have gone? Or just the way I expected it to go?
Half the time, the version of success I was clinging to wasn’t the only (or even best) path forward. I just got attached to it. So now, when things shift unexpectedly, I try (keyword: try) to see it as an alternate route instead of a total failure.
2. Pausing Before Reacting
Old me? Would immediately go into problem-solving mode, trying to fix things before even processing what was happening. New me? (Or at least trying-to-grow me?) Takes a beat. I let myself be frustrated, but I also ask: Is this really an emergency, or just an unexpected detour?
Most of the time, it’s the latter. And reminding myself of that stops me from making rash decisions out of stress.
3. Making Peace With Imperfection
This one’s tough. If you’re someone who prides yourself on doing things well (hi, hello, I see you), it can be really hard to accept when things are messy, unfinished, or just… not what you envisioned. But the more I embrace imperfect action, the more I realize that progress matters more than perfection.
In business, the people who succeed aren’t the ones who get everything right all the time. They’re the ones who keep going, even when things go wrong.
What I Keep Reminding Myself (and Maybe You Need to Hear Too)
If you’re dealing with something unexpected right now—whether in business, life, or both—just know: this isn’t proof that you’re failing. It’s proof that you’re in motion.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about if things will go sideways. It’s about what you do when they do. And if you’re anything like me, the answer is probably somewhere between freak out a little, then figure it out anyway.
So, here’s to navigating the unexpected, embracing the pivots, and reminding ourselves that we’re doing just fine—even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Now, tell me: what’s something in your life or business that didn’t go as planned recently? I bet you’re not the only one dealing with it.