On January 9th, 2003, my life was going according to the plan that I had envisioned. I was thankful for many things. At the top of the list was my healthy three-year-old, Eli. I had no idea that everything could change so quickly.

On that day, our precious toddler pulled a little red Playskool chair across his playroom under an open window. He then climbed upon the chair, hoisted himself over the window sill, and pushed out the protective screen.

If you want to improve the quality of your life or business, planning is essential. You have to be honest about your current reality, envision a better future, and then create a roadmap for getting from one to the other.

But having a solid plan is no guarantee against encountering problems along the way. As a mentor of mine used to say, “Doo-doo occurs.”

Yesterday, Gail and I began a 30-day sabbatical. We spent the day traveling to a remote retreat, 8,700 feet up in the mountains. We have no real plans other than to pray, read, and dream. The last time I did this was 1994.

On the plane, I intended to write a blog post. While this may seem like work for some, for me it is like oil painting—except with words. My heart comes alive as I give expression to my thoughts.

Life is not problem-free. As one of my friends says, “You’re either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to go into a crisis.” The key to maintaining your balance is perspective. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to ask the right question.

Years ago, I went to Sam Moore’s office for my weekly one-on-one meeting. He was the CEO of Thomas Nelson at the time and my boss. As I entered the executive suite, I felt my stomach tighten. I had bad news to report, and I was concerned how he might react.

If you’ve ever led anything you know Plan B is inevitable. Life doesn’t always unfold like we plan, and dreams have the tendency to shatter. As a leader you have to see this as an opportunity.

Change is difficult for most organizations. It is made even more difficult when leaders resist it. It is my observation that leaders have either one of two postures when it comes to change. They either lean into it or lean away from it. This makes all the difference in terms of the outcome.