Not-Planning

So, how's that plan coming along? All working out? Doing good?

After my venture to Taiwan and not planning anything for that trip. I feel that "no planning" is a good fit for me. I hate planning, I always have, it just sucks. When I plan, I generally don't do the plan, then feel frustrated about it and think I've got to go all Tony Robbins on it to make it a must, a have to, an insatiable need to get the plan going to reach the final goal and be happy and fulfilled.

"Find your desire for it to happen and it will happen," the self-improvement guru's cry. Baloney. "Visualize every last detail of what you want and it will come true," Not for me. Exception: If I desire eating pizza. Now, granted, that is a plan I can make happen. Easy. I love pizza, I want a pizza, call 'em up the phone, order it and go pick it up. Bring it home and BAM! I'm eating pizza. Did I have to sit down and plan it? Hell no.

As a gift and experiment to myself, I'm not planning anything else. Life is going to happen. Whatever shows up spontaneously in the moment is where I'm at. If someone calls up and says they have a plan -- good -- let them do the planning since I suck at it. The friends are going to all meet on Saturday for dinner? I'm there! Going to go glider flying in June, my idea. Am I going to plan it? No. Just going to tell everyone when and where and I'm done. "Do you know where your life is headed and how you're going to get there?" Been there, tried that, not for me.

But how can you live life without a plan?
How do you know where you're going to live?
How will you know where your money is coming from?
How will you create your future?


Don't know, don't care.

It's been said that in life you should discover your unique talents. I have no talent at planning, none of my plans that I've ever drawn up have come to fruition. Never have a I basked in the glory of having a plan that turned out in any way close to what I envisioned. My other friends who plan only complain about how said plan didn't go according to plan and how pissed off they are that "nothing is going according to plan!"

Try living in the now instead.

Since I've been playing with the "No-Plan Lifestyle Design" TM  I've been feeling great, having amazing experiences, doing wonderful things with wonderful people and living in the moment. It feels so natural and effortless. I feel more like I'm me being me. I've told all my friends and family that I am not going to plan anything anymore, so don't ask me if I know what I'm doing. I don't have a clue and it's awesome.

If anything I've written here isn't clear, let me state it again. I'm letting planning go. I didn't even plan to write this column on planning, it just showed up here without me doing anything. Cool.

If you would like a sink fixed, call the plumber. If you care to serve a fifty-place table setting for a wedding, call the caterer. If you want a broken leg fixed, call the doctor. If you need chairs, forks, shirts, advertising, movies, or anything in the entire world designed, I got your back. If you know a head case and need a psychologically adjusted human, I'm all about it. If you have a problem playing guitar, I can help.

If you want a plan -- don't call me -- call the planner.