I struggle with plans, the clarity of them, the detail required, working within a time frame, the order of the steps and then, when the unexpected happens, what then? I hear judgement in the old adage of “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. No, I’m not planning that at all, I just don’t know what I don’t know.

I’ve tried many of the prescribed ways – with SMART goals, business plans, budgets, diets, planners and probably a few others as well. The detail of these plans takes me away from what I actually want. The way that works best for me is a creative process that starts with a vision board.

What I’m talking about is a big picture focus, a general idea of what I’m aiming for. Even if I’m not sure and it’s all a bit vague, I know once I start I get a clearer idea of what I want. I need to “put on the rose coloured glasses” as opposed to “get real”. My vision board is about energy and colour and balance and the feel of things, a whole perspective of what I want. The process itself allows me to immerse myself in what I want, without worrying about how it has to happen.

I’ve been known to start things without thinking them through and it’s usually not too long before I hit a problem I hadn’t expected. “You should’ve …..” or “I told you so” don’t work too well for me. Rest assured, when the problem hits I hear the message loud and clear – it’s time to get real. If I want success then I have to think it through; my planning begins in earnest. Despite my objections that I’m no good with detail this is when I find planners and budgets and SMART goal thinking have their place and I go right into the detail – when it’s due, the steps, how much it will cost, creating scale models, and playing until I know what to do next. The details begin to fall into place even if they don’t always go according to a calendar, or a clock, or a schedule, even if sometimes it’s little steps or sometimes it’s big bursts.

I’ve learned that planning to nth degree doesn’t work. I need time for lessons to be learned, disasters to run their course and new ideas to be born. The rebel in me doesn’t have patience for detail yet I have to acknowledge that a part of what I do so well is notice and factor in the detail needed; oh, what a circular argument! Planning requires a big picture view and focus on the detail. If all else fails, just start somewhere, even if where you start is taking the first step without thinking it through.

Need help with planning or the detail of making it happen? Contact me to book your free ½ hr strategy session. Stay tuned – the next vision board play shop is coming soon.