Planning Is At The Heart Of Productive And Satisfying Action

Planning in life is an essential commodity. To just live haphazardly with no strategy or direction will lead to disappointment and missed or lost opportunities.

Giving thought and energy to what we need to do will focus our efforts and help us to be more productive. And satisfied because we have made a better effort to reach our dreams and goals.

This is not to say that at times 'doing one's own thing', being 'in the flow', or the like is not the right course of action or feels good. We just need to be aware of when to plan and when not to.

But then do we not always plan? Is not our mind and brain so quick at making decisions and thinking about things that we do our planning, not on paper on in a PC program, but in our heads. And we are certainly able to perform well in this way.

So, does this assessment have a part to play in our everyday life. Yes, of course. At times it is just loose and just gives us an idea of what we are doing or might be doing, and we are willing to let things happen around this. But this in the knowledge that we have a pretty firm if not general idea of our objectives.

However, at times we need to not just have an idea, but a well thought, well constructed course of action. For instance, organizing a wedding.

It is no good just saying, oh it will happen in September or October next year. We'd like it in the country (not a city setting). We ought to arrange the church and the service, but we'll just see what turns up. We won't arrange any food, we can always go to the local supermarket. We won't tell anyone the arrangements, they can find their own way there - wherever there is - at the right time and place, though even we don't know what those are right now, and we don't really intend finding out either or communicating them.

Plainly absurd and impractical.

Equally, we want to run a half marathon next year. But we won't plan or think about any training for it. We are not runners so we ought to think about it, but we cannot be bothered. We won't decide which event to enter, one will turn up on our doorstep on the day, won't it?

This sort of attitude will get us nowhere.

Also we do need to know our destination, our goal, our target. How can we plan if we don't know where we are going nor when we should arrive.

What we need is a strategy or plan of action. Then your journey through life can be a productive and satisfying one.

If we adopt the simple what, who, where, why, when, and how, series of questions we can start the ball rolling. If we ask ourselves these simple questions and get answers then we have started well. An idea is starting to become reality. An idea is now gaining some substance.

And it is important that we can start to see our goal. Get close and intimate. It must mean something to us for us to put the effort in to achieve it. Otherwise it will just be another half started, half finished idea/project - that we can all lay claim too.

We need to taste it. See our prize. Be motivated. Get excited. Want to do it. Need it.

Then we can look at the resources required. Do we have all it takes? Do we need to learn new skills? Can we do it all ourselves or do we need help?

So now we are really getting somewhere. We are preparing our 'attack' on achieving our prize.

A good next step is to break the task down into achievable, small steps. One leading to another, to another, until the task is done.

Realize you may need to be flexible. The goal you start out for may need to be changed or amended as you go along, as will your plans. But this need not put you off the scent - unless you let it.

And then stop procrastinating and get started. The first step is often the hardest. Once you have made that first step . . .

One foot in front of the other and your journey begins.