Did you know that ships plot a course even before they leave port? They know the routes they’re going to take. But sometimes it’s necessary to change course.

Life throws curveballs. Things don’t work out. Passions, hobbies, and interests change. That’s okay. Sometimes you as a person need to change course too.

What’s really cool, in my opinion, is that with technology in this day and age, no ship is ever truly lost. When the Titanic sank in 1912, as they sent out both Mayday and SOS signals, their coordinates were off. But in the more than a century since, technology and positioning has improved so much that we can do more accurate readings. My car has GPS capabilities so I can navigate from my car!

The ocean is big. It’s vast, and it can be terrifying. But being able to know exactly where you are at any points in time is really cool. I teach my students the process of finding latitude and longitude so they can pinpoint anywhere on earth. (Whether or not they retain it is a different story).

I’ve been on a few cruises. There are TVs on the boat. One of my absolute favorite channels is being able to see exactly where we are in the ocean and seeing where we’ve been.

Like ships, it’s okay if we change course. Sometimes we stop enjoying the things we loved. Your career may change. Your options may change. You may have a large obstacle in your path that you need to maneuver around. You may find that your destination changes.

As much as I write for other people, I also write for myself. And this is a letter to me to serve as a reminder. This blog post came about not as some big change, but as a small one. I have a puzzle renting subscription (it’s really good. Ask me about it!). Normally it brings me comfort and joy so I can relax and destress at the end of the day. However, my most recent puzzle came right around my birthday in September. It’s now December, and I’ve really only completed the border and a little bit more.

In the past, I would’ve gotten down on myself for not being able to complete something, especially something I enjoy. However, I’m working on myself to use that as something to maneuver around. I was frustrated about the puzzle, but I also realized it was taking up space that I needed in my brain. I sat for two hours recently to work on it some more, but even then I only got minimal pieces done.

I don’t know if this sounds small or disjointed, but I know this is important for me. I can run forward like a train. I only focus on one thing, and I focus on it with all I have. My track is set and I can’t deviate from it, and still expect to run.

However, I’m working on trying to be more of a ship than a train. Yes, ships also have defined courses and routes, but they have more freedom to move. If something interferes with the train tracks, the train is stuck. If something interferes with the ship’s path, the ship can change course to avoid it.

This has not been easy for me because I want to be the train. I want to do everything that I set out to accomplish, and I don’t want to be stopped or affected by anything in my path. But here is the part I need to recognize: if something is in my path as a ship, it’s a blip on the radar. If something is in my path as a train, it’s a complete detour or a full stop that could take hours or cause serious delays.

I like projects. I like to work. I like to do things well. So I need to slow down and recognize that it’s okay if I don’t get everything done. It is okay if a project doesn’t work out. It’s okay if something that once brought you joy brings you pain.

It only becomes a problem if everything brings you pain. If everything you want to do is hurting you or making you stop, then it might be time to rest for yourself and completely clear the tracks. Or if you’re a ship, it could be that you need to change your course to avoid all these things in your path. It doesn’t mean you failed.

Again, this is a reminder to myself. I see a lot of things I do in black or white. If I get something right, I pass. If I mess up, I fail. And those are unhelpful thoughts on either end. So if I can alter my thinking process time be more like a ship that needs to change course, l can recognize more than just a success or a failure.

These things take some time to figure out. But I’m hopeful that I can help someone else who is going through the same or similar situations with the things I learned. Then I know that my struggle was worth it.