Let's Go To Plan 'B'

Did you ever try to organise something—and from the very beginning, nothing seemed to go right?

You make a plan. You get excited. You imagine how smoothly it will all unfold. And then… life steps in.

Recently, I was in the middle of organising an event that meant a lot to me. I had ideas, intentions, schedules—and a quiet confidence that everything would come together beautifully.

It didn’t!

From small hiccups to bigger curveballs, things kept shifting. Timelines changed. Logistics became complicated. A few moments made me stop and think, Is this actually going to happen at all?

I noticed my body tightening. My mind racing ahead to worst-case scenarios. That familiar inner voice starting to whisper, This is going wrong.

And then I paused.

One of the biggest gifts meditation has given me is the ability to notice when I’m spiralling—and to gently interrupt it. So instead of powering through in panic, I went back to basics.

I breathed.

I reminded myself that not everything needs to be solved at once. I asked: What is actually in my control right now? And instead of clinging to Plan A, I gave myself permission to consider… Plan B.

And then Plan C.

What surprised me most was how things began to soften—not necessarily on the outside straight away, but inside me. I stopped fighting the situation and started responding to it.

I reached out for help, something I am really learning to do rather than trying to carry everything alone. I simplified where I could. I trusted that the right version of the event would take shape, even if it didn’t look exactly like my original vision.

In the end, the event did go ahead—just not in the way I had first imagined. And somehow, it felt even more meaningful for having travelled a bumpier road.

It reminded me that so much of life—and organising events!—is an exercise in flexibility. We make plans with the best intentions, but peace often comes not from everything going perfectly, but from how we meet the imperfect moments.

So the next time something starts to unravel, maybe instead of asking Why is this happening? We could try asking:

What is this teaching me?

Where can I soften instead of resist?

What would a calmer version of me do next?

Sometimes, going to Plan B isn’t failure at all. Sometimes, it’s wisdom!

The part we rarely notice

What really struck me afterwards was this:

Nothing outside me changed immediately. What changed first was my reaction.

The tight chest.The urgency.The need to fix everything right now.

That’s panic.

And panic always wants certainty before we can relax. But life rarely gives certainty first.

Through practice — breathing, pausing, grounding — the reaction softened. And only then could a response appear. A clearer thought. A kinder decision. A simpler next step.

We often think we need better plans. But often we need a steadier nervous system.

This is exactly what we practise on retreat

On retreat, we’re not trying to create a perfect, calm life where nothing goes wrong.

We practise what happens when things do go wrong.

We learn to recognise the moment the body goes into alarm. We notice the story speeding up. We experience the difference between reacting automatically and responding consciously.

Because the real freedom isn’t in controlling circumstances.

It’s in not being hijacked by them.

Plan A will sometimes fall apart.

Emails will go missing.

The weather will change.

People will cancel.

Life will interrupt.

But when we learn how to pause inside the moment, we discover something steady underneath the chaos.

And from there — Plan B isn’t stressful anymore.

It’s just the next step.

That’s exactly what we explore on retreat: how to stay steady enough inside ourselves that Plan B no longer feels like a problem. If this sounds like just what you need, you can always click this link and be sent the brochure and booking form. https://tr.ee/SaXfYu

Maybe we will all be together in August, relaxing, resting, learning and rejuvenating!