Planning sets you free!!
“Plan? No way. I don’t want to be uptight. I don’t want to be restrained. I don’t want to lose my spontaneity. I don’t want to be some tense person who never gets to have fun. I want to be free. I want to be me.
Great. Then plan”.
Planning is the way to freedom”. (Becoming a Master Student)
This is what we talked about in FHE this week for our study skill. I took it from my trusty study skills book.
There is a perception about planning and planners and I’ve talked about it before. Pretty much like the quote above. I hear these comments from most of my clients frequently. There is a huge fear of losing spontaneity, of becoming too controlled. People think that planning = restrictions= loss of freedom. But, it actually gives you more freedom.
Why? We reviewed these points:
1. You can change the plan!
We change our plans often and still preserve the advantages of planning. Advantages include choosing our direction and taking control of our lives!
2. You choose how to achieve the plan.
Without a plan, you let others make choices for you! We can become a victim of our circumstance and situations. Planning increases freedom as it can create more choices.
3. When there’s a plan, there’s a chance
Planning makes it more likely for us to achieve our goals. We are aiming in a certain direction. “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
4. Planning frees you from constant decisions
You can think ahead of time of what is important to you and make some decisions ahead of time. Then, you don’t have to keep deciding, which often causes you to flip flop. We don’t have to spend all our time planning, or changing our mind. We can just DO. Take action.
5. Planning makes adjustments easier
When you plan, it’s easier to handle unexpected changes. You already have priorities established, you know what can be moved over in case you need to make room for something new.
6. Planning makes us more accountable.
We are more likely to do something if we have planned for it! Especially if we have written it down. We can also see our accomplishments better too if we plan because we achieve so many goals.
7. Planning is about creating your life; designing your future; making things happen. NOT about letting things happen to you, falling into situations, relying on luck or becoming a victim to others and circumstances. Planning allows us to be self directed an be in the drivers seat of our own lives.
