Every Time the Wind Shifts
“A pilot does not deviate from the flight path every time the wind shifts.”
At the end of the week, as one does, I found myself reflecting. What did I accomplish? What went well? Am I happy with how things played out?
On the whole, yes. If I had to take an average score for the week, I’d say I finished what needed to be done. However, I also reflected on the amount of unexpected items that came up and fluctuating emotions day-to-day.
Like many entrepreneurs, there are days when I wake up absolutely stressed out. There are mornings when the workload feels insurmountable, when progress feels slow, and I start to question if we’re headed off a cliff.
I am a fan of the concept that two things can be true at the same time, and that not everything is mutually exclusive. Truth is, you can be stressed and not change what you are/about to be doing.
To put in an analogy that helped me symbolize it: on any flight, there will be turbulence. Winds will shift. But a pilot does not deviate from the flight path every time the wind shifts[1]. If they did, no flight would ever reach its destination.
In a startup, like a long flight, you will face turbulence. Stress and anxiety are common emotions on some days and I find anxiety urging me to rewrite the plan. There is this temptation I often have to think that because something I had not accounted for came up, that my schedule for the week was wrong or that I did not plan well enough.
You simply cannot account for everything. It is important, then, to not allow day-to-day fluctuations to create doubt in your plan. Stay on course unless there’s a genuine signal to divert. Do not let distractions derail you.
So, how do you keep your hands steady on the controls when the winds shift? For me, it comes down to a few key practices. First, remember with what information did I make my plan for the week. Second, is this new information today relevant to or change my initial assumptions? Finally, is this information or task a priority today? If it fails any of the three, I acknowledge it, but I don't let it derail my focus or deviate from the established course.
Jeff Bezos once put it nicely when talking about Amazon’s stock price, which one would think would be of paramount focus. He said: “The stock is not the company. And I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the stock price.”
Even when the stock dipped, Bezos focused on building value, not on reacting emotionally to external noise. In aviation, you should adjust your flight plan when ATC tells you to divert due to storms, or when critical instruments signal danger. In business, it’s when data, not doubt, tells you to pivot.
So, the next time you feel those winds shift and the plane starts to rattle, remember: it’s part of the journey. Keep your eyes on the destination, trust your plan, and let the genuine signals guide your path forward.
Notes
- Shoutout to my cousin Jad for helping me find the right terminology 👏🏻