Have you ever been driving down a road when you come upon a lane or road closure sign? I imagine we’ve all been there, especially this time of year when road construction is so prevalent.
How about in life? Have you been headed down a path, confident you’re going the right direction, when suddenly you’re met with an obstacle?
The most significant roadblock I ran into recently came when my former publisher decided to close its doors...a mere nine days before my scheduled release date. I had been drawn in by their apparent dedication to authors and the friendly, helpful staff. And to be honest, the majority of my experience was very positive.
Then came the time for my final files to be reviewed prior to print and distribution. And I was suddenly met with radio silence. For a month. Until an email was distributed to all authors notifying us of changes to come.
I tried to remain hopeful. After all, it was a new company and that comes with a certain amount of growing pains and adjustments. I wanted to be supportive and give the owner the benefit of the doubt, even as a sinking feeling settled in my gut.
Another email arrived a week later, not answering any questions I’d had over the past month, not with reassurance, but with notification of their closure. Everything I expected for the release and publication of my novel was thrown out the window in that moment.
It was a difficult reality, but I know God’s plans are greater than my own. My journey was detoured, but it hadn’t ended. I had a few different paths I could have taken, as we typically do when we come to a roadblock, and I chose the one that spoke loudest in my heart.
Before I dive further into how my journey continued, let’s take a look at some of the options we have when those barriers appear.
Run Through It
This first choice doesn’t apply in every situation, but it’s an interesting one. Plow right through that barricade and keep going. Because you’re certain you’re supposed to be on that path and the roadblock was more of a speed bump anyway.
It’s the stubborn way to go. It’s a belief that you know better, or you simply refuse to give up. Maybe you feel too invested, you’ve come too far, and there’s no way you’re stopping now. The problem with this is you will typically run into another barricade. And there’s a good chance you’ll incur more damage the further you go.
Turn Around
Or you can take the opposite approach. This can often feel like the easiest route. Stop, make that three-point turn, and head back the way you came like you didn’t really want to go down that road in the first place. Forget it ever happened.
We can convince ourselves that we ran into the barrier for a reason, and that reason is we were headed down the wrong path. And sometimes this is true. Sometimes you’re in or headed toward a toxic relationship, a soul-crushing job, addiction, or harm to yourself or others. In those moments, we can give thanks for the roadblock and shut down the plans we had.
In the situation with my former publisher, I could’ve easily walked away from that blow and decided it wasn’t in my destiny to be a published author. I could’ve refocused on my next novel that I’ve admittedly put on hold. But throwing in the towel wasn’t the answer for me. Instead, I went with option number three.
Recalculate
It’s the beauty of GPS technology. If there’s a roadblock, we simply find another way. There’s always some side road or alternate route to be taken. Just because there’s a barricade doesn’t mean you will not reach your destination. The journey just may take a little longer or look a little different than you expected.
Occasionally when you redirect, you even find yourself at a whole new destination. You’re on the way to the store across town, as you’re driving you come upon a new store that recently opened, and before you know it you’re in that new store’s parking lot to check it out. You’ve had this happen, right? Our unplanned paths can lead us to new places we didn’t imagine were possible.
In my situation, I had a couple of paths to take. I could have started back down the traditional publishing route — sending query letters to literary agents and publishers, waiting on responses and rejections until I finally found representation. But I was impatient. I had been so close to releasing my book into the world. I didn’t want to wait months or years to make that happen.
So I followed the path of self-publishing. I spent a lot of time researching, reformatting my manuscript, and attempting to be a cover designer. There were so many technicalities, forms, and details I hadn’t planned on needing to understand. That’s the benefit of having a publisher.
I’m sure the end result isn’t quite up to par with what a professional with more training and experience would produce, but I am unbelievably proud of what I have accomplished. And that’s something I wouldn’t have had, at least not to this level, if things had stayed on its original path.
We will all run into roadblocks throughout our lives. That’s part of the journey. Take the time to assess the situation and continue in a way that is best for you. After all, the result could be so much greater than what you originally planned.
What is a recent barricade that stood in your way? Did you run through it, turn around, or recalculate?
Comments