So . . . What’s the Plan, Stan?
How to actually feel empowered by the change from expectations
As the year of utter unpredictability comes to a close, it seems fitting to reflect on perhaps the most invaluable lesson: planning is useless for the sake of predicting your future.
Before diving in, let’s start with a quick video representation of this year.
It looks like we finally hit 88 miles per hour…
In the chaos of the preceding ten months, it has been easy to focus on the small details directly in front of us. Upon reflection, however, we become aware of the important aspects of life which we took for granted prior to this year. Unlimited time at crowded bars, watching movies in a public theater, spontaneous vacations, flights next to the crying baby- you name it. The many small pleasures and memorable moments were certainly abundant.
After our apocalyptic closure and the ensuing unpredictability, one thing seemed to sneak into the mind of all pandemic people: doubt. What does my future hold? Will I be working from home forever? How can I start a career and network without being around people?
Much of the reason for this questioning originates from the expectations crumbling before our eyes. Aside from Bill Gates, almost no one could have predicted this. And, yet, here we are.
Throughout our lives, we’ve been taught the healthy habit of planning. The idea is instilled in us subconsciously when asked what we’d like to be when we grow up. To be an astronaut, I must take certain high school courses, study a specific major at this university, and work X position at Y company.
We’ve been trained to view planning as a healthy exercise in foresight. If we know what we enjoy in our life currently and what we WANT in the future, crafting a guide can help us achieve these goals!
All the positive talk is misleading. Truth is, planning is not what people make it out to be. Of the countless individuals with a roadmap extending through this year, I doubt many anticipated every curveball thrown by 2020. For those who did, consider starting a “Planning Consulting” agency — you’ll certainly have a large customer base.
Given the falsehood of sitting and penciling out our future, it’s easy to glamorize a go-with-the-flow lifestyle. If this is all a farse, what is the point?
Before completely disregarding the idea, let’s talk a little bit about the utility of crafting your life blueprint.
What planning is:
1. A road map to help direct us. Small decisions and habits are developed based on what we want from our future. An individual may consider waking up early and running several times a week if their plan mentions staying physically fit.
2. A method to reveal our true priorities to ourselves. When we sit and plan what we want, we reorient our daily lives. Our true interests may come to fruition.
3. An accountability partner. It’s easy to be motivated by seeing our goals and dreams.
What planning is not:
1. The right answer. Particularly in the long-term, hardly anything ever goes as anticipated.
2. Something to follow aimlessly. It is completely normal for our passions to lose their appeal. If you start to lack motivation or feel the need for a shift, change things up! Which leads us to 3…
3. Static. Your habits and daily activities should always adapt to your changing lifestyle, desires, and interests (because they frequently change!)
Now, planning is a long and tedious process. We spend much of our lives anticipating the future and preparing for it to happen. How can we be prepared for the outcome if things go awry?
As revealed by COVID-19, one key word seems to be flexibility. Given the unprecedented time, everyone was forced to be flexible in some way. Roughly 7% of employees had the option to work from home in 2019. Now, WFH benefits are available for 64% of employed Americans. Good luck getting alone time when your roommate never leaves!
We all have to be flexible. With ourselves, with our families, and with our work, no time has demanded the term in this context to this degree for this many people. Yet, it will help us excel, for now and the future. Bruce Lee’s wise words are a great reminder:
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
To bend with the wind is to forget the fear of falling over. Losing sight of the long-term makes us susceptible to anxiety, confusion, and downright frustration. Taking a step back and understanding the grand scope of everything helps us maintain flexibility in the minutiae. It then may matter less if you decide to binge The Queen’s Gambit tonight. But try not to make it a habit…
In short, the value of planning lies in the pursuit of what we find meaningful in our lives. Completing the end task is a small piece of the puzzle; the lessons learned along the way provide the bulk of the utility of the process. Laying out your future can be easy easy; whether the task is accomplished may not be our decision.
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.” — Paulo Coelho
Planning is as crucial as ever. To do so effectively requires us to constantly analyze our goals and pivot based on the changing circumstances. COVID has revealed to us how little we control what happens around us. With flexibility and a little bit of practice, our plans can give us faith for the future and create a foundation for our lives.
