Why It Pays to Plan Ahead
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 20:53
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 21:02
Written by Joselito Laudencia
This week, I’m refining my goals for 2010. In the past, I’ve approached planning as a big hurdle. Who wants to spend time planning? I used to think it’s all about doing! And plans are most likely to change because of unexpected circumstances!But I decided that rather than looking at it as a chore and seeing it as a negative, I decided to shift my energy and ask myself why it really pays to plan ahead. Here’s 7 reasons I came up with:
I want to know where I’m going. As simple as it seems, this is an important step! Imagine getting in the car to drive and not knowing where you want to go. You can get going, but you may not end up where you wanted to be!
It's about intention setting. Intentions are a way to focus on what you really want. Imagine going to a restaurant where there’s a menu of infinite options to choose from. If you don't make a choice, then you usually get whatever the majority of people are eating. Why not pick what you want to eat and choose something that really satisfies you?
Planning is a guide and a tool, not set in stone. At any moment, you get to change your plan if it’s not working out for you. But that’s what a plan does. It helps you to determine if what you’re doing is really working for you.
Planning is a tool for personal growth. Not only does it help you to clarify what you want in life, but it also shows you what you have to do to get there, where to focus your energies, where you might need help, where you need to grow and what you need to let go of in the process.
Planning brings a sense of inner peace and harmony. You don’t freak out as much because you’ll become aware of what is really happening and what you need to do. Stress comes about when you don’t feel like you’re in control. If you don’t know what to do, you’re probably stressed out.
Planning and strategizing is another expression of your inner guidance. One of your best resources is your own inner voice, your intuition. When you do your planning from a place of asking if this feels right to you, moving forward feels a lot more fulfilling.
Planning and strategizing gets the thoughts out of your head and onto your paper / computer. One of the reasons you might think about something over and over again is because It keeps swimming around endlessly in your head! Getting it out of your head creates space for you to be more creative!
What do you think? Have these ideas given you food for thought about the importance of planning? Do you have other ideas you’d like to share? Please feel free to share your comments. I’d love to hear from you!
