Plan: Don’t Get Sidetracked

It’s January 2nd, 2016.  The beginning of a new year – complete with new plans, dreams, hopes, wishes and yes….even some fears.  For me, it’s the fear of not following my plans and dreams.  A vicious cycle, eh?  I’ve found what gets in the way is…life.  I get sidetracked.  Pulled off the road by a seductive sign, promising a cold beverage at the end of a dirt path.  It’s so very easy to lose sight of our destination – there are so many distractions.

I find the beginning of a new year quite thrilling – the promise of what’s ahead, the clean feeling of washing the past years unfulfilled pixie dust from my hands.  We get to start fresh, renewed, with nothing but the days ahead to entice us.

But the truth is, life, and our living of it, gets in the way.  John Lennon said it best – “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”  We hear ya, John.  We get so wrapped up in our day to day living that we forget the big picture…and in that forgetfulness, we wake up Rip Van Winkle style and wonder if we’ve been napping for 20 years.

So – the question is clear – how do we stay focused on what matters most to us?  How do we avoid leaving the track?

Much of what I’ve read, from scientists to self-help gurus, say it’s all in the planning.  Plan.  One simple, four-lettered word, is what we need to keep the momentum going.

We fail to plan properly for a million reasons – we don’t know how, we are afraid of planning incorrectly, we are too busy, yada yada yada.  I’m guilty of it too.  But something dawned on me the other day when I was reflecting on the times I achieved something in my life…the moments I felt successful.  And I came to the conclusion, that the common element was that I had a plan in those times – a road map to follow.  Whether it was training for the marathon (following a running schedule) or writing for a local newspaper (I had a vision and a plan in place to get my foot in the door), the success came from a clearly laid out path that only required I walk it without fail.  Having a clear vision, and writing it down, took the guesswork out of the process…I had less time to overthink and more time to do.

Yes, even with a step-by-step guide, you’re bound to veer off now and again.  Your motivation will flounder, your vision, blur.  BUT – you can and will get back out there and continue the journey.  It requires choosing and planning.

Let’s stay on track together – I’m game, are you?