When Cold Water Hits Your Plans — Managing the Shock of Sudden Change

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you — individually or with your team — committed fully, invested effort, and prepared with dedication to take on a big challenge, only to have, suddenly and beyond your control, a setback that prevented you from achieving your goals? Recently, I experienced a personal situation that prompted me to reflect on these moments, which are often fraught with emotions.

I strive to live a balanced life, as much as possible, considering the many responsibilities I have to manage. In that context, I make an effort to incorporate sports into my routine and, more recently, have decided to run more frequently. I found, in a race organized in my city this coming Saturday, the opportunity to embrace a challenge and set new goals in this discipline. If, at first, my runs were “time-boxed” (precisely 30 minutes, in an agile style), to complete 5 km, I began to focus on finishing the route in the best possible time.

Last week, I was already visualizing the race, confident that I could perform well within my set expectations. However, last Monday, while performing a simple movement, I felt a sharp and intense pain in my back. At first, I thought it was just a muscle strain. Still, a few hours later, I had trouble walking due to an inflammation in the sacral muscle region — possibly the result of insufficient strengthening and stretching.

I immediately found myself unable — and frustrated — to carry out my plans. The medical recommendation, in addition to medication, was to refrain from physical activity for at least five days. The plan I had been executing consistently had to be abandoned — at least for this race.

We have numerous examples in our personal and professional lives where we commit ourselves, set plans, and, due to unforeseen circumstances, must cancel them. In business, I recall projects that we had to cancel for various reasons — such as integrations to which we had devoted resources and effort, but which were discontinued due to strategic changes made by external partners.

The first reaction is often frustration and discouragement — and, in some cases, even guilt. In this context, it is worth recalling the well-known “Circle of Concern/Circle of Influence” presented by Stephen Covey in the classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In it, the author distinguishes between situations over which we have no control (concern) and those in which we can exert influence. Proactive people focus their efforts on the things they can change, taking responsibility for their behavior and letting go of what is beyond their reach.

Source: https://managementors.co.uk/circle-of-influence/

In my case, despite the disappointment and pain, I accepted that, for now, what I can do is focus on recovery. I also tried to extract lessons: dedicating more time to physical strengthening, maintaining the discipline of training, and seeking new challenges in the future. In professional situations, the logic is similar: reflect on the progress made and evaluate whether any of it can be applied in other contexts.

In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol S. Dweck describes the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe their qualities are unchangeable; those with a growth mindset understand they can develop through effort and by focusing on learning. This mentality changes how we react to setbacks and adverse situations.

However, adopting a learning posture should not be confused with toxic positivity. I am reminded of the scene in the film Titanic, where, as the ship was sinking, the band kept playing — a portrayal of denial in the face of the real situation. Having a positive perspective in the face of challenges is essential, but there are times when it is necessary to acknowledge and experience challenging emotions. Yesterday, amid intense pain, all I wanted was to find a comfortable position and a medicine to ease the discomfort. It is human to feel sadness, frustration, or anger. Ignoring these emotions can lead to increased guilt and shame.

This Verywell Mind article emphasizes that it is essential to learn to manage negative emotions instead of denying them, allowing time to process them. With the influence of social media, we are sometimes led to believe that everyone else’s life is perfect, and that we alone have the “privilege” of facing difficult situations and setbacks.

Frustrated plans — whether a street race or a major corporate project — remind us that not everything is under our control. The difference lies in how we respond: acknowledging legitimate emotions, processing them, extracting lessons, and, when possible, redirecting efforts. Balancing optimism with realism and resilience with self-compassion enables us to be better equipped to face the challenges and changes ahead.

#ChangeManagement #Resilience #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfCompassion #ToxicPositivity