Why I’m not doing a plan for 2018 (gasp!)

Nov 16, 2017

I’m a planning junkie and have been teaching it for years… but I’m not going to do a plan for 2018. Here’s why.

13 Comments

  1. TeachingLearner

    To keep moving forward effectively then I must keep finding the graceful balances between:

    being proactive and being responsive
    pushing the round boulder up the hill and riding the raft down the river
    knowing what the next graceful step is and sorting through the too-many alternatives
    soaring along on the currents of wind like a hawk and chopping down trees like a beaver
    like a man in an overcoat leaning into the wind and a girl chasing butterflies in a meadow
    playing on the seesaw of life and feeling overwhelmed by the junky clutter of my life
    going with the flow in the Creativity Zone and doing boring housework yet again
    longing to spend much more time with a few close friends and enduring acquaintances
    chattering about shallow trivia to pass the time and seeking enriching dialogues
    learning yet more about how to improve my life and just living with the familiar mess
    searching for greater spiritual growth and putting out the fires of worldly problems
    inviting the muse to come out to create more and coping with the trivial details of life
    letting my heart dance with my mind as I write and caring for my body so I can dance again
    sticking with those teachers I like most and seeking for some more teachers too
    carry on like a dutiful soldier and internally caving in to the impossible odds of winning big
    feeling content with all the techie tools I have and wanting to add some more to the collection
    being goal oriented and adapting to the shifts as prompted by my intuition
    perceiving missed deadlines as a bad thing and learning to make suitable future adjustments
    finish the many books/ebooks I started and get yet another one that promises much
    marking up books as I read them and rarely going back to review those books or markings
    having specific tasks to do each day/week and going with reality as it unfolds each moment
    swimming upstream against the distractions and stopping to smell the roses
    plugging away like a faithful worker bee and strategizing like a wise CEO
    putting in the time needed to tick off the needed tasks and stopping to rest along the way
    getting things done to the best of my abilities and making taking a vacation a high priority
    operating from my familiar skill set and learning yet another skill
    knowing I could die any day in a auto wreck and pacing myself to live to a ripe old age
    staying comfy in my Comfort Zones and again moving tentatively into new territory
    digging the ditch that is right in front of me and looking at the landscape from high above
    slowly studying new material while pondering each bit and skimming to get a few ideas
    using patience with perseverance to plod along and knowing when to let go in order to pivot
    addressing short term goals and developing resources for long term goals
    applying current systems and creating new systems
    fishing for neat new videos on Youtube and sticking to structured studies I have begun
    relaxing and enjoying my life and keep moving forward with my purpose
    keeping up with the many reports of current events and working on my personal development
    choosing to dig into just one well very deeply and going to many possible wells that appeal

    it is not either-or but both-and while in harmony and suited to the needs of the moment

    Reply
  2. Brenda Horton

    Hi Tina: Thanks for sharing. As an avid planner, I too allow for things to flow. I call it being adaptable and flexible in business. I have found that the two work really well together. You can’t have one without the other. You need both and you need to be able to discern when you need to plan and when you need to let things flow. Love your videos! Very inspiring!

    Reply
  3. Abdullahi Bello Umar

    Can’t make up my mind if I love this message because I hate planning (actually think I’m terrified of it, but who’s checking?) or because I love all your inspiring messages or both.

    I am just going to use the information to fit my reality and see if I can get the best of both worlds – planning to succeed without planning?

    Err…why am I feeling dizzy?

    Reply
  4. garth gwynn

    Tina, I am thinking that you are in a place to do a slightly different planning than before. One thing is to set up an “agile” model to have the systems and methods to operate going forward. Also, you may still want to consider doing the high level strategic planning that is above the “operations” planning that you talked about.

    Reply
  5. Ally E. Machate

    Oh how I aspire to be in this place where you are. But before I can not plan, I need to get to the place where I have enough control over everything that I actually can execute all my plans! 2018 is going to be my year. Can’t wait to see what you do with yours.

    Reply
  6. Katherine

    Oh, Tina — as always, it’s such a joy to tune into you and your work. It sounds like you’ve been swimming in what I would call The Intuitive Waters this year… and your descriptions might, by another coach, be called “leading with the feminine.” The systems and structures well in place (the masculine) actually allow for the creative (feminine) path to unfold… where that which emerges from the Void (the feminine) has a structure and place within which to LAND, and to be SUPPORTED (the masculine). Brava. It actually sounds thrilling! To be able to move as inspiration guides you… Thanks for letting us in on the journey. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Linda Patten

    Tina: I too love this video and your share. I too am a planner and sometimes my calendar looks like there is not an open space to be had — that it is do, do, do. I have also learned from experience that being open to allowing people, places, things to come through that there is an excitement of what is possible, as I can get bored and stuck with the continuous doing. I have learned to take a vacation (or at least reduce my work schedule) on the 5th week of the month. Going away, even if only to the library, and being able to be with the environment really brings my creative nature into play as well as allowing me to say “ahhhh”.

    Reply
  8. Sarah Hutchinson

    ” Linear thinking only allows us to see the future as a continuation of the past, whereas intuition allows for quantum leaps in all directions that can open us to unimaginable creative solutions.” -Suzanne Anderson, The Way of the Mysterial Woman.

    Reply
    • tinaforsyth

      YES! Love this

      Reply
  9. Sarah Hutchinson

    This is 100% awesome Tina! My systems are adequate to do just what you are describing and I can tell in my mind and heart being responsive will serve my clients the best. Thanks for the affrimation!

    Reply
    • tinaforsyth

      Awesome 🙂

      Reply
  10. LouiseCrooks

    Love it Tina! I’ve found that I do a combination of both planning and allowing, so that I can switch or change in the midst of it all. It’s something I’ve had to learn how to do because of dealing with chronic migraine! That works for me, and allows me to be in flow, and at the same time have goals / intention to pull me forward. And able to shift when I want to. Definitely agree on having systems and repertoire in place to do that. But sometimes we can do something new very simply, and it can still work. 🙂

    Reply
    • tinaforsyth

      Such a great example of living this Louise – albeit not always for a good reason! But having a business that can ‘flow’ with anything that comes up…. ahhhhh.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How Scalable is your Business?

Take our 5-minute Assessment to find out if your business is ready for the next stage of growth (and if not, what is missing…)

Archives