Newsletter 6: What to do when your plan falls apart

Newsletter 6: What to do when your plan falls apart

Subject: The vision isn’t broken. It’s evolving.

Every vision looks perfect on paper. Until life adds its edits.

You build momentum, feel clear, and then something shifts—a deal falls through, the market flips, someone you counted on leaves.

Suddenly, your story doesn’t match your outline anymore.

Most people panic here. They think the vision’s broken.

It isn’t. It’s evolving.

Real example:

Guy had a perfect 12-month plan. Six weeks in, his biggest client left. Overnight, 40% of his revenue gone.

He called me convinced the vision was dead.

I asked one question: “Does the version of you who already lives that vision fall apart when one client leaves?”

He paused. “No. That version of me already built for this. He just goes and fills the seat.”

Two months later: three new clients. Better fit. Higher fees.

The chapter looked different. The story stayed on track.

Here’s the truth: Alignment isn’t about everything going to plan. It’s about staying in character when the plan changes.

Real examples that work:

When things drift, zoom out. Revisit your end scene. Ask: “How would the me who’s already there handle this moment?” Then act from that place.

Every plot twist tests the identity you claimed. It asks: Will you keep being who you said you’d be? That’s the real work—not just designing the vision, but holding it steady when conditions change.

Remember: you’re the author and the main character. The story bends, but you decide how it reads.

The psychology:

The chapter might look different, but the story’s still on track. That’s alignment. It’s not rigidity—it’s faith in the throughline.

Pro tip:

Vision isn’t about control. It’s about consistency of being. Hold that, and you’ll find freedom no matter how the plot unfolds.

What to do next:

- When things drift, zoom out

- Revisit your end scene

- Ask: “How would the me who’s already there handle this?”

- Act from that place—even if the chapter looks different

Stay in character. The story’s still yours.

Watch the deep dive: When Life Rewrites Your Chapters

[https://billfoss.com/central]

Ready to hold your vision under pressure?

Watch the Briefing: [https://billfoss.com/briefing]

—Bill

P.S. The vision bends. You decide how it reads.