What if you don’t have a plan?
A person without a plan is planning to fail, is the old adage that people often recite at us when they ask about our goals and what we plan to do. This year, when I was asked about resolutions, I answered I don't have any. That is the truth, I don't have any because I have never known a resolution to work. Instead I feel a shift of habit or an intended focus on an outcome is far more successful. I decide on my specific outcome and ask my self what new habit has to be adopted. Rather than lose weight I set the outcome as being the healthiest I have ever been. How do I achieve that? Well I cut out sugar, do a HIIT four times a week, practice yoga and meditation. There was no focus on the scales and no calorie counting, instead my behaviour resulted in a physical changed because I focused on what results I wanted.
This whole planning thing then escalated in my mind because I have always been a planner. I admit it - I was quite compulsive in my planning. That was before I realised how I wanted to control my success. I used to have a goal and make a precise plan. I used to get frustrated when I did not hit a target. Yet what often happened was a better way or a new and far more fun often appeared that would never have been noticed if I had stuck purely to a plan. I also found that always having a plan removed the potential for spontaneity. It is great to have an idea of what you want and then find the best path. The thing is some of the most satisfied people I have met have not had a plan, they simply had a passion for a subject or skill that satisfied them. They were open to opportunities and took them rather than forcing, controlling and planning. This may well be interpreted as being lackadaisical. It depends on whether the planning formulae works for you. I am not saying sit down and do nothing. I am not saying do not have a destination. Instead I am saying that it might be worth intending on an outcome and then adapting to what life sends you to get there. Usually people work out a destination and plan how to get there. There are numerous routes, some include the direct route, the meandering route and the adventurous route to name but a few. The point is so many of us believe that we are in control of life and its outcomes. That is so very ego based, the truth is we are not in control of our lives, we just believe we are. The more we hold on and continually plan, restrict and order, the more we suffocate potential. A tree would not grow into an oak if we set it targets, restricted how it grew and made is accountable for everything it did. Isn't that the beauty of growth, it happens in nature, it happens in its own time? So with growth in mind, and notice everyone is fixated on growth, one of the key ingredients is allowing for growth to happen. Control does not enable growth. Restriction does not enable growth instead nurturing, feeding and caring for projects, people, ideas and plants enable growth. Maybe that is what has been going wrong. Maybe forcing, restricting and controlling causes financial constipation in our financial markets. So maybe a new way is worth a try.
What do you want as your outcome? Write it out. My intended outcome is..... and I am open to new ways that will enable this to happen. I look forward to experiencing growth. You see a person without a plan is not planning to fail instead as long as they have a clear intended outcome then they are open to possibility. With possibility comes adventure!
You can find my books at the following link: Ruby Allure books on Audible:
No comments:
Post a Comment