If you’ve ever driven in snow, you know the car doesn’t always go the way you want it to.

Goal achievement can feel the same way.

You might be doing everything you can to steer toward your goals, only to feel like you’re suddenly veering in the wrong direction. It’s unsettling — like barreling down a winter freeway and hitting a patch of black ice.

When we lived in Utah, I had that experience more than once. Thankfully, I’d learned what to do when a car begins to spin: you momentarily steer into the direction of the swerve.

In other words, if I’m trying to drive straight but the back end of my car is sliding left, I need to turn the wheel to the left — just long enough to regain traction — and then I can realign and keep moving forward. It’s not instinctive. The natural reaction is to panic, freeze, and slam on the brakes. But that only makes the spin worse. Gas or brakes — either one at the wrong moment — can throw you even further off course.

There’s really only one smart move: steer toward the direction you want to avoid.

The same is true with finances. If you feel like things are spinning out of control, your instinct might be to hit the brakes — to stop dreaming, stop investing in yourself, stop hoping or trying. But pulling back completely can make things spiral even faster.

Likewise, slamming on the gas and charging ahead without paying attention to warning signs isn’t the answer either. If something feels off, you need to notice — so you can respond intentionally:

Steer into the swerve.

When your finances (or goals) aren’t heading in the direction you hoped, don’t ignore it. Don’t panic. Face it. Steering into the problem — even just for a moment — allows you to regain control.

In real life, that means regrouping. It means getting crystal clear on your inflows and outflows. It means prioritizing your spending based on where you actually want to go.

It means coming to terms with your reality. But to do that, you need to know what your reality is.

If things are tough right now — if you’re not where you hoped to be — this is your chance. Get honest. Let yourself feel whatever comes up. Then, decide that you will find a way forward. Once you’ve faced the facts, gratitude has room to grow again — and so does hope.

That’s what it means to steer into the swerve, just long enough to regain traction.

Once you're steady again, it’s time to point yourself in the direction you want to go — and keep moving. Recommit to your goals. Maybe they've shifted over time. Maybe some no longer shine the way they used to. That’s okay. This is your chance to re-evaluate, to get clear on what brings you the most joy, and set your sights on success in those areas.

A patch of black ice in life can be a blessing — if you wake up, take the wheel, and steer into the curve. When you do, you’ll likely avoid a bigger crash — and come out stronger, more grounded, and more aware of how to stay on course.

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