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If you would have asked me five or even ten years ago if I had a plan for my future and if I believed it would unfold perfectly, without hesitation I would have said “yes”. I had no idea how far off base I was on planning, either. While I will tell you how important it is to have a plan, because it will send you in the right direction, what it won’t do is end up perfectly. Sorry if you are a perfectionist. I know this is the last thing that you want to hear right now.
Even though I will make a plan for the next five years this October, what I will not do is solely rely on this plan? Why? Because while you used to be able to make five or ten year plans and things would stick closer to the plan, the truth is that everything is changing at a much more rapid pace, especially with anything related to business goals.
So, here are three things that recovering perfectionists, like myself, can learn about developing plans in 2015:
1. Plans will change, maybe even drastically.
If you are like me, you don’t like this answer. But, plans will always change. Your one-year plans, five-year plans, and ten-year plans will all be different. If you were to ask me ten years ago what I would be doing today, I would have told you that I wanted to be a business owner, but I had no idea what type of business it would be or how it would happen.
If you told me I was going to be a writer twenty or twenty-five years ago, I would have laughed. I don’t have that typical, ” I knew that I wanted to write since I was ten years old” story. I didn’t realize I loved to write until my freshman year of college. At ten years old, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I landed a long way from that dream, but I now realize that ideas, this world, and our perspective change, and that’s a good thing. In high school, I knew I wanted to own a business, but writing wasn’t even on the radar yet. I am very thankful that my perception changed.
2. Even though we don’t land exactly where we plan, it sure does help us move forward.
I have lived life both without planning and with planning, and I have to say that that living with a plan of some sorts motivates. No matter who you listen to on how to develop your plan and what you think it should like, a plan is always better than no plan. Why is it important to plan even though it probably won’t turn out exactly how you think it will, then? Because, not only will a plan get you moving in the right direction, it will also get you thinking in the right way.
3. Future plans not only let you dream, but they encourage it.
When people tell me they don’t have a life plan, my next question is always, “When is the last time you dreamed?” This usually takes place in the second or third life coaching session without fail. Planning requires dreaming. I would dare you to dream a five year plan out and pick yourself to be in a completely different spot than you are today. If your plan doesn’t have you growing in any way in the next five years, you need to come up with a different plan. But, if you are willing to dream and take risks, you are well on your way to creating a worthy plan for your life. All you need is a little imagination.
When you dare to dream, even though plans rarely come to pass with perfection and you don’t know where you will end up, doors will open long the way. That’s what the journey gives you. Go and make a huge plan for your future, today.
* ugh * I am not writing a post-length reply. I am not writing a post-length reply. I am not …
OK, now that THAT’s settled, I DO have a ton of thoughts (but I am not writing a post-length reply)! For now, I’ll cherry-pick a few:
1. There is always a plan in place. If you don’t make a custom plan, then your plan is the default plan: “Do the same thing I did yesterday the same way I did it yesterday” with the possible vague addendum of “Think more about a new plan tomorrow.” For some people, that plan actually feels OK. But do try to imagine yourself 10 years from now, and ask the then-you if it will be OK with him/her.
2. Not only is technology changing more rapidly, if we are remaining a dynamic being, we are changing constantly. We gain new thoughts, new exposure to new things, new connections, new skill acquisition. They all change the plan along the way. For example, most people can identify with the idea that meeting just ONE new person can disrupt a whole previous plan (dating, marriage, business opportunities, etc.).
3. Moving toward “a” plan usually results in all of the things from #2 above. So maybe when I was 20 I thought I’d be a touring singer/songwriter. But the ability to write, to reach an audience on multiple levels and to be comfortable in front of (and keep the attention of) large crowds all came out of that goal and contributed to the “evolving goal” of becoming an author, speaker, etc.
Lastly, an aside to you, Adam: this post made me curious to know more about you again, the person and the plan. I sensed a lot of “you” in it, beyond the words.
Hi, Erik. Thanks as always for being a part of this community. I just love dreaming. In all actuality, this podcast could have been about point #3 and I would have been happy with that. I think today people just forget to dream. They get “stuck” in the motions and are somehow satisfied with that.
As for me, my idea of perfection has been shattered in various areas of life too many times to give the plan the ultimate say all. Business, relationships, but it’s all about the journey, and the journey has been awesome. It’s what you pick up along the way.
I couldn’t “Like” your reply with a button, but I just “liked” it in my mind.