What about planning ahead?

Lots of people say planning ahead is a good idea and so important. I don’t agree.

In my experience, planning ahead is a bad idea. Why? Because things change – and as you all know – that is just the way of it. I know there are some raised eyebrows out there when I say planning ahead is a bad idea, so I will assure you right away that I realize some planning is absolutely necessary for survival in our world. Yes I do realize that.  I’ve had my own business for many years so I understand the importance of good planning, proper scheduling, meeting deadlines, delivering assignments, paying bills and salaries, and all that practical stuff. When I talk about planning ahead, I’m not talking about your basic business and family stuff that simply has to be done. What I’m talking about here is all the optional stuff like making choices about the future or for an unknown future that you believe is somewhere out there waiting for you.

Experience has taught me that if I want to live a happy life, I shouldn’t commit to anything in the future unless I absolutely have to or I am absolutely 100% sure about the matter. Why do I say this? Because when I stay in the moment, I find that the flow has its own inner knowingness about what’s right for this now moment – and it’s best to stay tuned to that and forget the rest. You can call it listening to your inner voice or being awake in the moment or feeling out situations or whatever you want to call it. But the reality is that every moment is unique and things change. I change. You change. Feelings change. The weather changes. Your kids change, your parents change, your partner changes. Quite simply, there’s nothing that doesn’t change, which makes committing to doing something far ahead in some unknown future risky business. I usually get in trouble when I do this because from the day I committed to the day the thing goes down, a hundred and one things can and do happen. And when the day in question dawns, everything looks quite different and chances are I don’t feel anything like I did on the day when I committed! Then I wake up feeling trapped instead of happy! Bad judgment!

I’ve done this so many times that one of my most important rules for keeping my life simple and happy is to stop planning for some imagined future.

What about airline tickets? My ex-boyfriend always said if you don’t book now the tickets will cost ten times as much. Especially if you like to wait to the very last moment like I do. And this is true. The closer you get to departure date, the more expensive tickets are. The same goes for booking holidays and stuff like that. Which is why I tend to stay home a lot. I simply don’t want to commit. And that’s my right and privilege as a human being. To not commit and stay home and make up my mind at the very last minute! And if that’s what it takes for you to live a happy life, I suggest you do it too!

It's called being true to YOU!

Comments

[litsong]

dear Barbara:
thank you for your message.

i too become pro-live-on-the-moment, instead of decades of training to make plans and commit in schedules.

you are right about how following our guts order and be led by this intuition can bring up some doubts in others. People often find me strange, but that's ok.
I have to listen to my guts otherwise it costs ME.

Although i have been doing so, it is still wonderful to hear you put it clear and clean.

I enjoy reading your blog and so happy to know you and Tim in my thoughts.

Love
Litsong (in Taiwan)

[litsong]

Oh, one more thing i want to mention.

I do not like to commit, or plan more then the cores but i do like to travel. I live freelance and can afford quite some flexibility.

I travel a lot, but i do not really plan them. I travel when i feel it is a calling that i want to duet in.

I love staying home, enjoy myself, as much as i love to travel and discover my self in the reflections along the way.

On traveling, i take what comes and feels right and just dive in.
Still can't believe how bazar miracles keep dropping by to invite me for yeah or no-thanks in each chapter.

The best thing i find is that on each moment, i almost always can see the fork roads and when following my intuition to take one, i often can see the perfect grace or divine intervention.

The beautiful of being fresh!
Most of things i do don't make sense to the "normal people", but they are mostly simple truth for me which matters ultimately.

"Being weird" is only because one is reading the instruction that only he/she decodes.
one of the many mysteries in life.

Litsong