Goals and Uncertainty

We’re only a few days into January, and this year has already been full of trials and heartache for so many people. The future may feel bleak and uncertain, but that means community is more important than ever. In the midst of suffering, we can surround each other with love and compassion. 

That’s why I’m so passionate about this blog and so many other like it. My hope is that it will build a bridge of community among people who, all too often, feel isolated and alone. 

So I want to invite YOU to join me this year. If you would like to contribute to the conversation and share a little bit about your creative journey, I am currently booking guests bloggers for 2025. My goal is to feature one guest each month along with a post of my own. All I ask is for honest stories with a bit of encouragement for the reader. 

Contact me if you or someone you know is interested. 

I love maps. Even in an age of GPS, I keep a book of state maps in the trunk of my car—just in case. (Of course, they may all outdated by now). There’s something comforting about seeing my entire route and knowing that my intended destination is at the end. No surprises. No re-calculating my route. I remain in full control of my journey. 

Of course, even with a map, I occasionally saw the dreaded orange sides along the road: Detour Ahead. My heart raced, and I’d break out in a sweat. So many times, I’ve had to pull over to the side of the road and look at the map so I could re-route my path—you know, in case the signs were wrong. Because, I’m a control freak, and I needed to know where I was going. (Psst. They were never wrong.)

For me, January is always an exciting time. A new year is a clean slate full of possibilities. It means a new planner and a chance to set goals for the next twelve months. I love dreaming about where I want to be and making a plan to get there. But so often, life just doesn’t turn out like we planned, does it? Speed bumps slow us down. We run into detours and roadblocks on our journey to where we want to be. 

But so often, life just doesn’t turn out like we planned. Speed bumps slow us down. We run into detours and roadblocks on our journey to where we want to be. 

When life is full of questions—whether from a diagnosis or just an uncertain future—plans are hard to make. For me, the past few years have been full of waiting. When I had long-COVID, I didn’t know if I would have the energy to accomplish anything for that particular day, let alone make plans for weeks or even months down the road. And since my husband’s cancer diagnosis, our future has become even more uncertain with unknown treatment schedules and reactions. I constantly felt out of control and creativity lingered far into the distance. 

My January goal setting activities have been replaced with a series of “what if” scenarios that I simply can’t answer. What if I plan to attend a conference or speaking engagement only to find out it conflicts with his treatment schedule? Or what if I sign a contract to complete that project by June but my energy level doesn’t hold up long enough for me to complete it? If I had a seizure at any point, how would I even recover. I am already tapped out. There’s simply no way to know the answers ahead of time. 

The thing is … so much of life is a journey of unknowns. Even if we are very certain about our destination, we have no way of foreseeing the roadblocks and detours along the way—even with a GPS. 

We can’t know if the year will hold a new diagnosis, a family tragedy, or a natural disaster. We don’t predict if our energy will allow us to do the things we want to do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream or create goals. 

I can hear my inner control-freak cringing right now—how can I make goals if I can’t see them through? You know what? Our careers will not implode if we don’t accomplish all our goals. But they might not progress at all if we don’t allow ourselves to dream and at least try. 

Our careers will not implode if we don’t accomplish all our goals. But they might not progress at all if we don’t allow ourselves to dream.

And, we just might miss some exciting opportunities and surprises that we didn’t expect along the way. Accomplishing our dreams is great, but our greatest growth happens on the journey there. The people we meet enrich us. We learn from our failures. Each step is important—even if we don’t take as many as we would like. 

So this year, I am learning to create flexible goals. Uncertainty is forcing me to take things bit slower, but I shouldn’t let it stall my journey. It’s okay to make plans, but it’s also okay to take one day at a time. Goals push us forward, but they are guide, not a hard fast rule. The journey is more important. 

I’m looking forward to the good surprises that journey may have in store for me this year. Are you? 

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Photo Credits: Katie Mourn and Warren Yim on Unsplash.